


Of North and South

by Dezert_Fox27



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action, Adventure, F/M, Falling In Love, Lemon, Oral Sex, Romance, Sex, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Violence, mild blood play
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-12
Updated: 2016-09-17
Packaged: 2018-08-14 16:45:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 24,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8021419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dezert_Fox27/pseuds/Dezert_Fox27
Summary: Under the advice of Itachi Kisame is trying to figure out what he really wants out of life. Then he comes across a woman who would change his life forever.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Naruto or any of the Naruto characters. This work is the work of a fan and that is all. The only character I take ownership of is my own characters.

Kisame had been out for most of the morning fishing. He made a decent living at it, and it was something he enjoyed doing. It was calming, being out at sea. Things had gotten much easier since he had left the Akatsuki. No more back stabbing, no more fighting for an unrealistic idea and most of all no more lies. Itachi was right, what he really needed to do was just get away and start over. He was lonely at times, but for the most part he was happy. It was an easy lifestyle and he loved it.  
Currently he was headed to one of the sketchier ports to sell his catch when he saw something floating in the distance. It wasn't too far off, so he altered his course slightly to intercept it. When he got closer he was surprised to see it was a woman, who was draped over a piece of drift wood. She was barely conscious and hardly able to hang on. Before he was able to reach out and grab hold of her, she slipped off the wood and into the water.  
Without hesitation he grabbed the length of rope from his boat and dove into the water. He swam down, wrapped an arm around her and pulled her back to the surface. He scrambled up the side of the boat and laid her down on the deck. She was breathing and that's what really mattered, because he had to hurry up and get to port before his buyer left for the day.  
He pulled into port and saw his buyer waiting for him. After a quick explanation as to why he was a little late, they made their transaction. He took some of the dock workers on board and opened up a series of trap doors in the center of the boat. These openings gave access to the large tank where he kept the fish. Once the dock workers were busy, Kisame took the woman off the boat and onto the pier. Laying her down on the dock, he proceeded to do a more thorough check on her. He ignored the looks he got from the other people on the dock. It wasn't unusual for him to get strange looks due to his unusual appearance. Laying his head on her chest, he listened to her breathing. It was a bit shallow and had a bit of a rattle, indicating that she had taken in some water; overall it wasn't life threatening though.  
Her heart beat was strong and steady in rhythm. He determined that she must have been so exhausted that she had collapsed. He smacked her cheek, not hard, but enough to try and get her to come around. She started to cough and gasp as she started trying to expel the water out of her lungs. Quickly he turned her over onto her side, and after a few minutes the coughing subsided.  
It was now that he got a little bit of a better look at her. Despite her hair being wet he could see that it was burgundy in color with black lowlights and it clung to her face, obscuring it from view. Gently, he brushed her hair away revealing a sharp featured face. Upon a little closer inspection Kisame found a deep gash over her right eye.  
As far as her clothes were concerned they were somewhat on the light side. She wore a light weight cropped shirt under a loose fitting tank top. Which was dark gray in color. Her shorts were a knee length and loose fitted on the leg. She was wearing dingy foot wraps that were stained with blood on the bottom of her feet.  
It didn't appear that she had been out to sea for very long, only a day at most. In these parts, though, it didn't take very long for the currents to take you far from where you originally had been, or for the sun to take its toll.  
\----  
Kenmuri coughed and spit out the sea water she had swallowed. Her head was pounding and she could barely get her eyes to focus. It was her right eye specifically that was having difficulty. She noticed a large shadow move over her and leaped away as best she could. With her eyesight blurry, she could tell the figure was male just by his shape and large size. She could also see that he was an oddly bluish, gray color. 'I must really be out of it if this guy looks blue,' she thought as her eyes started to come into focus.  
"Lie still," the man said in a low tone. His voice was deep and resonating, but also had a sort of rough quality to it as well.  
"Who…" she began to ask, but was stopped. She found her throat so sore, it felt as though she had swallowed razor blades.  
"Don't worry about that right now. You've been in the sun too long. Here, wear this and sit here for a while," the man said attempting to help her sit up, but she pulled away. He went back onto his boat and returned with a conical hat and a large piece of canvas.  
He wrapped the canvas around her shoulders and placed the hat on her head. She had to admit it felt good to be in a dry place and out of the sun. Nodding her thanks, she remained silent. Despite feeling better and strong enough to at least remain sitting up without feeling too dizzy, she knew better than to try and stand up. Her limbs still felt numb and tingly, but were starting to wake up. She rubbed her eyes and forehead trying to ease the pain that was causing her head to pound. That was when she discovered the gash across her right eye and winced.  
"Here, use this," the man said and held out a damp soft cloth to her.  
She took the cloth and gently held it against the right side of her face, "Thanks," she mumbled.  
"Sip on this, until I get back," he instructed and went back to his boat and began sifting around inside a wooden box.  
Kenmuri noticed just how tall he really was, once he stood up and she could see him in better focus. He was well over six feet that much she knew. The brown shorts he wore were knee length, loose fitting and provided free movement. He was also barefoot and wore no shirt, leaving his torso bare. It was clear to see that he had been in a rough line of work before becoming a fisherman due to the scars he bore. Most noticeable at the moment, were the various different scars scattered across his chest. She also noticed three slash scars on each shoulder or were they gills? She wasn't sure.  
She hadn't gotten a good look at his face because she didn't want to make eye contact, but now she was able to get a better look. His eyes were pale silver in color. Just below each eye there were three angled marks almost like scars or gills, similar to the ones on his shoulders. He had a relatively square jaw and overall chiseled look.  
His thick dark blue hair was styled in an upward fashion, where the front was slightly longer than the back and tied around his forehead was a folded over black bandanna. Seeing how he wore that bandanna made her wonder if he was a shinobi or not. Many of the shinobi she had seen before wore their forehead protectors in a similar fashion.  
Despite his odd appearance, she didn't find him unattractive. Quite the opposite, she found him rather good looking and felt a little shy. He intrigued her and despite the butterflies she was feeling, wanted to get to know him.  
\---  
Kisame found the small book and pencil that he had been looking for and climbed back up onto the dock. He walked over to the man he had sold his fish too, who was standing not far away. As he walked by, he gave the woman a sideways glance, he couldn't help it. For reasons he didn't understand, he felt drawn to her for some reason. He signed the book the man had opened for him to confirm the agreed amount. Then his book was signed as well. The two exchanged handshakes and Kisame returned without so much of a backward glance. Then he went back over to the woman and lifted the front brim of the hat slightly, in order see her face. She seemed to be getting some color back and looking like she was feeling a bit better.  
"How you feelin'?" he asked in a gravely tone.  
She could see he was concerned just by the look in his eyes, as well as a curiosity. Despite his features, she was not intimidated by him. She managed to give him a shy smile, "A little better, thank you," she managed to say. Her voice was hoarse and quiet.  
"Hey Kisame, long time no see," a loud voice called from halfway down the dock.  
Kisame looked up to see two figures walking up the dock towards him. He glanced down when he heard the woman take in a sharp breath and freeze. Her eyes were wide and she had a panicked look on her face. He stood and walked a few paces down the dock to stand between her and the two approaching men.  
One was broad shouldered and wore a long tattered black cloak. The lower half of his face was covered by a white mask. He also wore a white hood, making his eyes the only visible feature of his face. He wasn't overly tall, but very solid looking.  
The other wasn't as broad in stature, but was slightly taller. His silver hair was slicked back and he seemed overly happy. He wore a bright red robe and carried a long three bladed scythe. His Jashin pendent gleamed in the sun as he came closer.  
"Hidan, Kakuzu, the zombie twins," Kisame grumbled to himself.  
"How ya been fish face?" Hidan, the one in red, asked.  
"Why are you here? I thought I told you to leave me alone," Kisame replied with a bite to his tone.  
"Well as it turns out, Kakuzu has a contract to fulfill and the bitch he's after would make the perfect sacrifice. So I figured I would tag along and help track her down," Hidan explained rather loudly.  
"Sorry can't help you. I don't do that sort of work anymore," Kisame said dismissively and folding his arms across his chest. With his current stance, it was very clear that he was not about to move for anyone, let alone the flamboyant loud mouth in front of him.  
"Cut the crap Hidan, I've got a contract to fulfill. Have you seen this girl?" Kakuzu said and held up a picture.  
Kisame shook his head, "No," he stated curtly.  
\---  
Kenmuri sat trembling. She knew that voice, and it sent a shock of cold fear down her spine. She chanced a look over her shoulder, finding the man who had helped her, was standing a few paces down the dock from where she was. He stood with his feet planted and his arms crossed, his stance was like that of an immovable wall. She didn't understand why he was doing this, but at the time being she really didn't care. Those two weren't going to leave without putting up a fight. Despite how large and intimidating this shark man was, she couldn't help, but feel he would need some help.  
Fear gripped her so much, that she could barely move. All she could do was watch and pray that she would make it out of this situation alive. She hated feeling so helpless, but she really didn't have the strength to stand up, let alone flee.  
\---  
Hidan rolled his eyes, "So, there is no way that she could be sitting on the dock a few feet behind you wrapped in a scrap of canvas and wearing your old hat?" Hidan asked sarcastically, now standing in front of Kisame.  
Kisame stared blankly at him for a moment, then quicker than Hidan could react, he drove his fist straight into the Jashinist's face sending him flying backwards.  
Kakuzu took several steps back and to the side to avoid getting hit by Hidan.  
"I told you to leave me alone," Kisame yelled angrily. His temper was in full flare now, and he could feel the familiar need to kill rising up within him.  
Hidan landed several yards up the dock and rolled a few more feet. He came to a stop face down halfway up the dock then got up and sprinted back up the dock shouting angrily, "Son of a bitch! Hand her over!"  
"You know, you really should do something about that temper of yours. It's going to get you in trouble one day," Kakuzu counseled.  
Kisame threw his arms up to block Hidan's attack. He grabbed Hidan's arm in an iron grip and kicked him hard in the chest, separating the limb from his body with a spray of blood.  
"Looks like you've had to be sewn back together in some new places," Kisame said tossing the arm back at Hidan.  
"Shut the fuck up!" Hidan yelled and attacked again, using his other arm to swing his scythe at Kisame.  
Kisame shook his head, "Just because you can't die, doesn't mean I'm not going to give it my best shot," Kisame shouted back at Hidan, as he blocked the scythe by grabbing hold of the staff in both hands.  
"There it is! That hunger to kill, just like I remember," Hidan said, as if he had gained a victory.  
"Shut up! How many times are we gonna go over this? I don't do that stuff anymore!" Kisame said, and kicked Hidan hard in the chest again. There was a resounding crack as the unmistakable sound of ribs snapping was heard.  
Hidan hit the ground rolling several feet, gasping for the air that had been slammed out of him. He came to a stop at Kakuzu's feet, "Don't just stand there, fucker, help me! I'm getting the fucking shit beat out of me," Hidan complained.  
Kakuzu sighed and shook his head, "And whose fault is that? I just wanted to talk to him, and see if we could do this peacefully, but then you had to go and shoot your mouth off. I have no desire to fight him. I prefer to keep my body parts attached. Besides, I'm the one who has to sew you back together again," Kakuzu stated irritably.  
"You're no fucking help at all!" Hidan said struggling to get up.  
"I'm giving you one final warning. Leave. Me. Alone. Turn around and go now, and you can leave more or less in one piece," Kisame warned.  
"Sorry, you're standing between me and a very worthy sacrifice," Hidan said, shaking his head and charging at Kisame once again.  
Kisame prepared for the attack and countered easily, "Still just as sloppy as ever," Kisame said, deflecting a blow.  
"Shut the fuck up!" Hidan yelled, swinging his scythe at Kisame from a different angle.  
"You know, I thought you might have improved. You really should see a therapist for your anger problems," Kisame replied, dodging aside.  
"I did," Hidan said, pressing forward with a set of complicated footwork and swings, "She provided a very pleasing sacrifice. Jashin was very pleased."  
Kisame slapped the blade aside, and twisted to the side. Unfortunately, with a simple twist of his wrist, Hidan put a slice across the back of Kisame's right shoulder. Knowing he had made a fatal mistake and needed to act quickly, he took a huge risk. Reaching out, he grabbed hold of Hidan's cloak and pulled down hard, which threw Hidan off balance and forced him to fall backwards to the ground. Then, with a twist, he wrapped the cloak around Hidan's head. This caused his free arm to be pinned at an awkward angle, and his face to be covered. Pulling him into a headlock, Kisame got a firm hold on him.  
"You know I can't die…" Hidan yelled through the cloak.  
"Shut the fuck up, you son of bitch. I know you can't die, but that doesn't mean I can't give it my best shot," Kisame said through clenched teeth. He squeezed and twisted Hidan's head in a backward. The sound of cracking and popping bone could be heard, but Kisame didn't stop there. He continued pulling and twisting until Hidan's head was separated from his body. He then dropped Hidan's head and body to the deck of the dock with a thump, then stomped down hard in the middle of Hidan's back, breaking the rest of his ribs.  
Kakuzu walked forward shaking his head and picked up Hidan's scythe. He cleaned it thoroughly with a cloth, and then threw the cloth into the water. He then pulled a large sack from somewhere inside his cloak and began picking up the pieces of Hidan that lay on the dock. Starting with his arm followed by his cloak covered head and stuffing them down into the bag.  
"Hey, what the fuck do you think you're doing?" Hidan protested as he panted for breath, "You can't put me in there like I'm fucking scraps the butcher is throwing out."  
"Shut up! You managed to get yourself so fucked up this time, that it's going to take me over a four hours to piece you back together. That's only if I decide to do that," Kakuzu answered, and dropped the sack roughly on the deck.  
Kisame reached out and grabbed hold of Kakuzu's cloak and jerked him up to look him in the face, "Don't come looking for me again," he growled in a low tone, then dropped him to the deck.  
Kakuzu nodded, "I won't," he said, seemingly unfazed. He picked up the sack, hefted the rest of Hidan's body over one shoulder and walked away, then he stopped for a moment and turned slightly, "I'm going to pretend like this never happened. If it comes up, I'll just say I didn't know she existed. She's already been too much work as it is. Besides, Hidan will fetch a better price," he said with a coarse laugh.  
Kisame grinned, "Good to know. Make sure anyone else looking for me knows what happened," he replied, nodding at Hidan's body.  
Kakuzu nodded and walked away with Hidan screaming from inside the sack. Something about how messed up it was for Kakuzu not to tell him he had taken a contract that was out on him.  
Kisame walked back to the woman and knelt down in front of her, "Someone must really want you dead if those two are after you. Why don't you come back to my place? No one will be able to find you there," Kisame offered while catching his breath.  
The woman sat quietly in thought for a moment, then nodded, "Thank you," she said quietly and sipped more water. She had no idea who this man was or where she was, but she knew she would be better off with him than staying here.  
"I'm Kisame by the way," he introduced.  
"Kenmuri," the woman replied.  
"We'll head out in a moment. Let me just go rinse off," he said and stood up. Walking down the dock to one of the fish cleaning stations, he used one of the hoses to rinse off all of the blood. The cold water rushed over his back making him wince and hiss as it ran over the wound on his back. Taking the bandanna off, he used it to scrub his face and neck clean before tying it around his wrist so as not to lose it. He walked back to where Kenmuri was sitting, and touched her on the shoulder.  
"Ready to head out?" he asked and offered her his hand.  
Kenmuri nodded and took hold of his hand and allowed him to assist her into his boat. She settled down on the deck of the boat in the bow. She leaned back against the side of the boat to rest, while Kisame untied the moorings and maneuvered the boat away from the dock.  
About twenty minutes after leaving the dock, they had caught a current. Now that they were cruising along at a steady pace, Kisame went to the bow of the boat where Kenmuri was resting, "How are you feeling?" he asked again with concern in his tone.  
She looked up at him with a shy smile, "Much better now, thank you," she replied.  
"Good, your color is coming back, that's a good sign," he said, turning to go back to the stern and sit by the rudder.  
Kenmuri saw the wound on his back once he turned around, it was still bleeding a little and looked irritated. "What about you? That wound needs attention," she said, getting to her knees.  
"I'll be fine," Kisame dismissed with a wave of his hand.  
"It needs medical attention," she insisted.  
"I said I was fine," Kisame said, over his shoulder with more bite in his tone than he intended.  
Kenmuri stood and stared defiantly at him, "Look, the way I see it, you got hurt because of me. The least I can do is stitch it up for you," Kenmuri replied in a firm tone.  
"Well the way I see it, I stood in the way by choice," He said, turning around to meet her gaze.   
He was taken aback seeing her standing there, cloak and hat removed and staring back at him with a hard gaze.  
She walked straight up to him, and stood on her toes in an effort to get closer to his face, "You didn't have to stand up for me, but you did. Now, you claim to be taking me some place safe. So the least I can do is tend to your wound and make sure it heals properly. Do you want it to get infected?" she said with a tone that clearly told him she was not going to back down.  
Kisame couldn't help but smirk a little, "You really aren't going to let this go are you?" he replied. He had to admit, she was a spunky one.  
"No," Kenmuri answered simply and retreated a few steps. Not because he was intimidating, but because she wanted to get out of his personal space. She had made her point.  
"Alright fine," he relented, and went to the stern. He opened up a small door located on the back panel of the boat, reached inside and pulled out a small first aid kit and tossed it to her.  
She caught it in one hand and walked to the stern platform, where Kisame was now sitting. He watched her as she moved towards him and noticed she was very light on her feet. She made no noise when she moved. She barely made a sound when she jumped up onto the platform and knelt down behind him.  
After opening the kit and examining its contents, she took out a small vial of rubbing alcohol and poured it over some gauze, "This will sting a bit," she warned and quickly but gently swiped the soaked gauze across the wound.  
Kisame hissed and glanced over his shoulder with a grunt and look of annoyance.  
"Sorry," Kenmuri apologized and blew gently across the area. A cool tingling feeling prickled over the area that wasn't at all unpleasant. Then she ran a finger very lightly over the wound and muttered something under her breath. Kisame twitched at the feather like touch and felt a warm numbness spread over the area around the wound.  
"What did you just do?" he asked, looking at her from over his shoulder.  
She glanced up at him and gently guided his head back to looking straight ahead, "Don't turn your head like that. It stretches the skin in a certain direction and will botch the stitches," she explained.  
He couldn't help but notice how her hand traced along the skin of his neck and lingered on his shoulder, then gently slid away, "You've got spunk, I'll give you that," he said, trying to sound nonchalant.  
"You're not the first man to tell me that," Kenmuri replied, with a slight smile as she began stitching his wound closed.  
Really?" Kisame replied half surprised, "What happened to…"  
"He died," Kenmuri interrupted curtly.  
"Sorry to hear that," He answered.  
"I'm not," she shot back giving a slightly rougher tug on the needle than really necessary.  
Kisame winced and turned his head to look, but she turned his head back, "You shouldn't be," she said, in a calmer tone.  
"May I ask why?" he asked a little more carefully.  
"I killed him," She replied simply, but also in a manner that meant the subject was closed.  
Kisame remained silent as she continued stitching his wound.  
"Why did you do it?" Kenmuri asked, finishing her stitches and cleaning her hands off on some gauze. She closed up the first aid kit and handed it back to Kisame.  
"Do what?" Kisame asked, attempting to stretch his arm.  
She slapped his side causing him to instinctively bring his arm back down, "Don't do that, you'll put too much strain on them right now." she said, then answered his question with a question of her own. "Why did you stand up for me?"  
Kisame shrugged, "I don't know to be honest, but those two aren't people you want to mess with. If you can call them people. Death is a mercy to anyone who meets them," Kisame answered, "I'm also not in that line of work anymore."  
"You were a bounty hunter?" Kenmuri asked, only half surprised.  
Kisame nodded, "You could call it that, but not anymore," he said, in tone that said he was done talking about it.  
"Fair enough," Kenmuri said, getting up and looking at his stitches, "Just be careful for the next twelve hours. I don't want you tearing the stitches." She ran her fingers over the stitches lightly and felt her head swim and she swayed. In the next moment it felt as though she was falling and her vision faded.  
Kisame caught her before she fell off of the platform and took her back to the bow of the boat. He laid her down on the deck and went back to the stern, where he opened up a compartment and took out his cloak and an old cushion. Taking those back up to the stern, he spread out the canvas and moved her over to lie on top of it. Then he placed the cushion under her head, covered her with his cloak and placed the hat over her head to shield her form the sun.  
He then returned to the stern and checked the heading. Then sat down and waited. His thoughts wondered back to when she was giving him stitches and when she had turned his head. He couldn't help but wonder if she let her hand linger on his skin on purpose, or if he was just overthinking things. Then again, she seemed to take special care not to inflict even the slightest amount of pain. She also didn't have to tell him what happened to the last guy who noted her fiery spirit. It wasn't his intention to ask a personal question. In any case, he did ask, and cared what the answer was, which surprised him.  
He couldn't lie to himself. There was something different about her and that intrigued him. The main thing that he couldn't get over, was how she didn't seem to care about what he looked like. He had been around women before, but none of them could get over how he looked. She didn't seem to care and treated him like a normal person. In fact, he didn't think she was really afraid of him at all; if she was afraid of anything at all.  
For the longest time, he had thought that he was just meant to be alone. There was no way anyone would want to be around him. Bad things happened to people that got to close to him. Most of them ended up dead. His appearance and the fact that he was a former member of an S-Class criminal sect didn't help matters much. He was lonely a lot, but had come to accept it. Then she came along. Now she was lying asleep in the bow of his boat. Truth be told, he didn't know what to think right now. He knew the only way he was going to get an answer to the questions he had and the feelings he had, was to talk with her. That was another thing, she made him feel again. For so long he had just felt numb, but now he didn't know what it was he felt.  
Checking the heading again he found that it was time to change course. He adjusted the rudder and locked it in place. Then he went up to the bow of the boat and checked on Kenmuri. He lifted the hat slowly and put his hand on her side. Her breathing was even and calm as she lay sleeping quietly. Not wanting to disturb her he opted to wake her once he had tied up at the dock outside his house. He lowered the hat again and returned to the rudder, maneuvering the boat towards a secluded portion of an island.  
A few moments later he had pulled up alongside the dock his house was built on and made quick work of tying his boat up. With a quick glance over his shoulder to check on Kenmuri, he found that she was still asleep. He climbed out of the boat and went up to his house, where he prepared his bed. Then he returned to the boat and to Kenmuri's side.  
He lifted the hat and shook her gently to wake her, "Hey, wake up," he said in a gentle tone.  
There was a moment of hesitation then Kenmuri sprang to life. Her sudden movement caught Kisame off guard, which was how she was able to throw him off balance. She had leaped at him, teeth bared and claws out. Kisame lay flat on his back with his hands up in a gesture of surrender. It was clear that she wasn't fully awake yet, but that didn't mean she couldn't hurt him.  
"Calm down," he said slowly.  
Kenmuri suddenly realized where she was and who she was holding down. She regressed and leaped away from him and landed clumsily a few feet away, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" She said panting and holding a hand up as if to defend herself.  
Kisame sat up and went over to her. He took her hand gently, "It's alright, you were acting on instinct. I don't blame you after finding out that those two were after you," he said referring to Kakuzu and Hidan.  
Kenmuri nodded then attempted to stand and winced when she tried to put weight on her feet. She managed to get to her feet after two more attempts, but ended up leaning heavily on the rail to take most of her weight off her feet. It wasn't going to be easy getting around. She knew her feet were in bad shape, but she never thought she would hardly be able to stand on them.  
"I could carry you," Kisame offered in a casual manner.  
Kenmuri shook her head, "No, I'll be fine. I just need a minute," she said attempting to take a step, wincing and leaned back on the rail.  
Kisame folded his arms across his chest and cocked an eyebrow at her. He knew she was being stubborn, but at the same time he knew she needed help. So he waited, knowing that her resolve would crumble in a few more attempts to walk on her own. He admired her tenacity though, she wasn't about to give up. At the same time though, it was painful to watch.  
Kenmuri tried a few more times to put weight on her feet, but it was too painful. She hated feeling so helpless. Kisame had already done far more than she had expected and she didn't want to trouble him further, but more than anything else, she didn't want him seeing her as a weakling. She hated feeling like the damsel in distress.  
"You don't have anything to prove. The fact that you managed to keep out of the grasp of the Zombie Brothers, is proof enough. Let me help you," He said pointedly.  
"You've already done enough in bringing me here," she replied dismissively.   
Kisame groaned at how stubborn she was choosing to be, "Let's get one thing straight. I offered to bring you here because it was safer than leaving you in the port. I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want to help. Did you really think I was going to just bring you here just to abandon you to fend for yourself? What type of person do you think I am? Now stop being so stubborn and let me help you, damnit!" Kisame shot back stepping forward.  
Kenmuri lowered her gaze, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to seem ungrateful," Kenmuri replied apologetically.  
"Don't worry about it," he said in a gentler tone and picked her up. She had a light build and stood barely tall enough to reach his shoulder. He knew she was small, but now holding her in his arms he had a much better idea as to what her size really was. One thing he did know was he liked having her in his arms.  
He set her on the dock and climbed up next to her then picked her up again and carried her to the upper platform. There was a well-kept outdoor living area under a huge awning, where Kisame took her over to the futon that was set against the house.  
"I can see to your feet if that's alright with you," Kisame said and stood up.  
Kenmuri nodded, "If you think you can help," she agreed.  
Kisame went inside the house and got a large bowl, threw two towels over one shoulder some bandages, a mortar and pestle, a few herbs, and a jug of fresh water. Then returned to where Kenmuri was sitting on the futon. He knelt down in front of her and began setting out the things he had brought with him. Now that he was organized, he held a hand out to Kenmuri for her to place her foot in his hand. She obliged with a small hesitation. He began unwrapping her foot slowly until the bandage was removed. A foul smell reached her nose and she coughed and blushed, but Kisame made no acknowledgement of the smell. He poured some of the water into the large bowl then placed her foot gently in the bowl of cool water and began washing the filth away very gently. Kenmuri winced a little, which caused Kisame to pause and glance up at her, "Sorry," he said, apologizing sincerely.  
Kenmuri shook her head, "It just stings a little," she replied.  
Kisame continued washing the filth away, removed her foot from the water, took the bowl of water over to the edge of the dock, emptied it over the side and returned. He refilled the bowl and placed her foot back inside to help sooth any pain. While letting her foot soak he put some herbs into the mortar bowl with a little water and ground them into a paste using the pestle. He took one of the towels and spread it over his lap. Then he gently lifted her foot out of the water and placed it on the towel, where he dried it gently. Upon closer inspection he could see that the soles of her feet had many cuts and gashes. There were some across the tops of her feet and up part of her legs as well. As if she had run barefoot over rough terrain.  
"What happened?" he mumbled as he ran his fingertips over the cuts on her legs and down over her feet studiously.  
"It's a long story," Kenmuri answered, "Let's just say, it's not a good idea to run through a forest as fast as you can with no shoes on."  
Kisame stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out what the situation must have been. He shook his head and began smoothing some of the mask he had prepared over her feet and legs, then wrapped a single layer of thin gauze over the mask.  
"I will tell you what happened," Kenmuri said breaking the silence.  
"You don't have to…" Kisame began, but Kenmuri held up her hand.  
"You deserve to know. It will explain a lot and there is something very important you need to know," she said in a very serious tone.  
Kisame nodded, indicating he was listening and began tending to her other foot. He wondered what caused her to change his mind? More notably, what was it she felt was so important.  
"I am not a normal human. One could argue, I'm not human at all. My people believe what makes you human is not your blood, but how you live your life and treat others. It has been our experience that there are plenty of people who call themselves human and as I'm sure you have found out, most have proven themselves to be less than human, most of the time.  
Anyways, I'm what is known as a Beast Blood. You may not be familiar with them. We're not common this far south," Kenmuri began.  
Kisame nodded, "I've only heard of them, don't know much about them. Just that they can take on the shape of animals," He commented.  
"Yes, but there is a little more to it than that. We can change only into one specific animal. Usually on the full moon. The most common ones are wolves, but there are many others. I'm a Vulpine for example. Every full moon, I transform into a fox. I'll explain more later, if you're interested. It was at one of these times, I needed to get away to be alone. Every full moon causes Beast Bloods to transform, but when we do, we act mostly on instinct. We can be reasoned with, and before you ask, yes we remember what happens during this time.  
I was staying on a small secluded island for a few days, in order to undergo my transformation in peace. I was relaxing quietly, having just transformed back to the form you see now. That was when everything went wrong. That was when they broke from the trees, the two from the port earlier today. Obviously, I ran. I made it to the other side of the island, found a piece of drift wood, pushed it out into the surf, and did my best to stay hidden behind it as it floated away.  
Now, I have to explain, transformations take a lot of energy, and are very physically demanding. Hence, why I passed out when you found me. I was exhausted," Kenmuri explained.  
"Well, you won't have to worry about them here," Kisame assured her, as he unwrapped the gauze from the first foot he had worked on and then began washing the mask off.  
"Thank you again for letting me stay here," she put in.  
Kisame waved his hand dismissively, "Don't worry about it," he said, as he finished washing the mask off her legs and feet. He discarded the water over the side of the dock again then came back. He gathered everything up and went back inside to put everything away.  
Kenmuri examined her legs and feet and found the already looking and feeling much better. She stretched and yawned, as the futon began to feel more and more comfortable. For the first time in a month, she felt that she was in a safe place. All her fatigue was finally catching up with her though.  
Kisame came back with a small bamboo box, and sat down in front of her again. He opened it up, and scooped out what seemed to be a thick, creamy paste like substance. Smoothing it over his hands, he then began gently rubbing it over the lower half of her legs and her feet.  
"What is that? It smells amazing," Kenmuri asked, noticing the smell coming from the salve Kisame was using.  
"It's a salve that will help keep the swelling down and prevent infection. A friend of mine gave it to me. Not sure about what's in it, but I know there is some lemon grass and some spearmint," Kisame replied, taking his time to rub the salve in. Not only was this going to help the gashes and cuts on her legs and feet to heal, it gave him an excuse to touch her. Even though they had just met, he found he enjoyed her company, and wanted to stay close to her. She was the first person who seemed to take an interest in him, not as a freak, but as a person. Her comment about being human piqued his interest. It meant that she didn't care what someone looked like or who they were. She judged a person by their actions. This also told him, she was not easily fooled by people who put on a show. So he wouldn't be able to lie to her. Not that he wanted to.  
Kenmuri couldn't deny the fact that it felt good to have her legs and feet massaged, because of how sore they had been. She also knew that Kisame was enjoying himself as well, even if it didn't show on his face.  
Not wanting to embarrass him, she made no mention of his actions and continued to enjoy the gentle massage, so much so that she began to doze off.  
Kisame noticed how tired she was and reluctantly concluded his massage. One thing was bothering him though, why she passed out on the boat earlier that day. She seemed to be making a full recovery(,) and then all of a sudden passed out.  
"Something wrong?" Kenmuri asked, noticing the scowl on his face.  
"No, just trying to figure something out," he answered, half lost in thought.  
"What is it? Maybe I can help you," she replied, with a yawn.  
"When we were headed here, you seemed to be getting better, so it was rather unexpected when you passed out," Kisame answered, standing up and stretching his back.  
"Remember when I was stitching your shoulder closed. When I ran my fingers over the wound, and numbed the area, at least I hope it was numb," Kenmuri pointed out.  
"Yeah," Kisame said, sitting down on the other end of the futon.  
"I used some of my chakra to numb the area, before I started stitching the wound closed. I then gave it a little bit of a boost. I used the majority of my chakra reserve to do that," She answered.  
"So you're a medical ninja?" Kisame asked, with interest.  
Kenmuri shrugged, "I know some things, but not everything. I know enough to help in a pinch, but to answer your question, no I'm not," Kenmuri explained. She adjusted her position on the futon so she was facing him, and had brought her knees up.  
Kisame nodded, "Well, thank you all the same," he said with a kind smile.  
Kenmuri smiled, "Consider it returning the favor, for saving my life," She said, leaning her head against the back of the futon.  
The sun was setting, and Kisame looked over at Kenmuri to ask her if she wanted to use his bed to get some sleep, but she was already sound asleep. He smiled slightly, seeing how peaceful she looked. It made him feel good to know that he had made her feel safe enough to not just rest, but sleep. Sleep without fear of being attacked. It proved that she trusted him, and that meant more to him right now than anything.  
He stood up, and went inside to look for a blanket. After looking around, he could only find his robe. So he took it out to where Kenmuri was sitting asleep. He draped it over her, "Sleep well," he muttered and left to go check some crab and lobster traps.  
Kisame returned after a couple of hours. He emptied a bucket of crabs into a holding pen on the lower level of the dock structure he lived on. Then he hung the bucket on a hook, as he went back up to his house. He decided to go check on Kenmuri next and found her still asleep. She was now sprawled out on her stomach across the futon. It was nice to know she was still sleeping. Before he could stop himself, he went over to her and allowed his hand to ghost over her head, "Good night, Little One," he mumbled, and smiled to himself as he went inside to his room. After stripping off his shirt and pants, he fell onto his bed with a heavy sigh. It had been a very long and eventful day. He was more tired than usual, so it wasn't long before he was fast asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kisame and Kenmuri take a trip into the main port.

Kisame woke up the next morning to the smell of something cooking. He got up and found that the sun was just barely up over the horizon. It took him a moment to realize why he would smell something cooking, then remembered Kenmuri. He pulled on a simple black tank top and some shorts and went into the bathroom.  
Kenmuri sat on a short stool next to a cast-iron fire pit, where she was cooking some fish fillets and toasting some bread. Kisame came outside and was rather surprised to see Kenmuri awake, and not just awake, but looking well rested too. She smiled at him and turned the fish over on the grill.  
"I didn't expect you to be up," he said and sat down in one of the chairs.  
Kenmuri shrugged, "Couldn't sleep anymore," she said with a shrug, "I hope you don't mind, I took a couple of fish from the holding area down below and cooked them up."  
Kisame shrugged, "I typically sell in bulk so a fish here and there is nothing," he said.  
Kenmuri smiled and took two of the fillets off the grill and placed them on a plate along with two pieces of toast. Then handed it to Kisame, "I hope you like it," she said.  
Kisame took the plate and placed the pieces of fish between the two pieces of bread and took a bite, "Wow, this is really good, thanks," he said after finishing the first bite.  
"Thank you and you're welcome," Kenmuri said with a smile and put her fish on a plate for herself. She began eating politely, but Kisame could tell it had been a while since she had eaten a decent meal.  
"How are your legs and feet," he asked taking another bite.  
"Fine, they've healed completely. A few scars, but that doesn't bother me," she replied as she finished the sandwich.  
Kisame nodded, "Good, I was hoping there would be no permanent damage. I'm impressed that they've healed overnight," Kisame replied.   
"I'm a Vulpine; it is actually not that uncommon. I'm also immune to most diseases," she answered matter-of-factly.  
Kisame nodded and finished his sandwich. "Well, we should get going, I need to get to the main port and pick up some supplies. I'm sure you need to get some things too," he said standing up and setting the plate on the table.  
Kenmuri stood up as well and took his plate from him. "I do, but I have no money to pay for anything. Is there any kind of game on the island?" Kenmuri replied and took the plates inside.  
Kisame followed her and leaned on the door frame, "Yes, but don't worry about it. You don't have to live like a savage, I'll pay for what you need," he said trying to sound casual.  
Kenmuri turned away from the sink and stared at him, "I could never ask you to do that," she said in amazement.  
"Don't start that again. Like I said before, I wouldn't have offered t if I didn't want to," he said in a bit of a growl.  
Kenmuri was going to say something, but then thought better of it and just nodded and washed the plates. Him bringing her here was a favor enough, but now he was offering to pay for anything she needed? She really didn't know what to think at this point.  
"You can't go into port like that though," Kisame said eyeing her not entirely in a disapproving manner, because he couldn't deny that he liked what he saw. He disappeared into a side room. Kenmuri assumed it was his bedroom, because he came out carrying one of his t-shirts and a leather belt.  
"Here, put this on, better to wear this than the remains of what you're wearing now. Although I personally wouldn't mind, you don't want to draw unwanted attention to yourself," he said and handed her the clothing.  
"Thank you," Kenmuri said, taking the clothes and looking around for a place to change.  
"Bathroom's over there, my room is right there," Kisame said, indicating the two rooms.  
Kenmuri nodded and went into the bathroom. She stripped off her old tattered clothes and combed her fingers through her hair in an attempt to detangle it. It worked for the most part, most of the tangles were gone. So she tore a strip off her old shirt and tied her hair back. Then washed her face and did her best to finish cleaning up. She was glad to be going to the main port. She looked forward to taking a proper shower.  
Picking up the large black t-shirt and pulling it over her head, "Geeze, I knew you were big, but I didn't think you were huge," she muttered to herself seeing just how big the shirt really was. It came down nearly to her knees. Now she knew why he had offered her the belt, which she had to wind around her waist twice before buckling it. Over all it didn't look bad and was rather comfortable. She gathered up her old clothes and exited the bathroom.  
Kisame was rather impressed with the turn out she had managed. Her hair was looking much more well-kept. He could tell that she had washed up. She went over and tossed her old clothes into the trash bin then turned around to face him.  
"Whenever you're ready," she said.  
"Let's get going then," he said, leading the way out of the house and down to the boat. He went over to one of the holding pens he had and motioned Kenmuri to come over.  
"I will need your help taking all of these out and putting them in one of the large pools I have on the boat," He said indicating the lobsters in the holding pool.  
"Alright, just show me what I have to do," Kenmuri said.  
Kisame blinked in surprise. He had expected her to protest and refuse to help, but she didn't. So he had her follow him onto the boat and opened up a trap door in the center of the boat deck revealing a large tank. "First we need to fill it with enough water to cover the lobsters, and then we will need to take them out of the current holding tank and put them in this one," he instructed.  
Kenmuri nodded, "Ok, but what about the claws?" she asked a little nervously.  
Kisame shook his head, "Those ones are only found in the far north. These ones don't have claws. Just grab them by the antennae and pick them up. Mind the tails though, they'll try and slap you," he said and had her follow him back to the holding pen. He picked up two lobsters by the antennae and turned around to show her. The two lobsters wiggled and snapped their tails against their bellies and wiggled their legs, but Kisame held them tightly. He held them out to Kenmuri, who hesitated a little, but took them in a tight grip and took them onto the boat. She put them in the tank on board the boat.  
Kisame brought two lobsters on board and put them in the tank. Then went over to one side of the boat and untied an empty barrel. He took the top off and lowered it over the side, filled it with the sea water, pulled it back up and then carried it over and poured it into the tank, then proceeded to do this again.  
Kenmuri went back to the holding tank and grabbed two more lobsters and dropped them into the tank. Kisame filled the tank to a certain level, and then tied the barrel back down. He then went back to helping Kenmuri transfer lobsters to the boat. It took about 30 minutes to transport all of the lobsters and fill the tank.  
"Not bad," Kisame said and closed the deck hatch to the tank, "I'll be honest, I didn't expect you would do that."  
Kenmuri laughed, "Why?" she asked, as she untied the bow of the boat from the dock.  
Kisame shrugged, "Just didn't think you would," he replied untying the stern and leaping onto the boat.  
"So you were testing me, was that it?" Kenmuri said from where she was on the dock.  
"Something like that," Kisame replied with a flirty smile.  
Kenmuri cocked an eyebrow and laughed. She crouched and then in one graceful leap she left the dock and landed on the deck on a low crouch. Kisame couldn't deny the fact that he was impressed. Clearly she was feeling much better and had the agility and dexterity to prove it.  
"Well, I can't say that I dealt with lobsters before, but I know my way around a boat. I can fish pretty well too," she said folding her arms and leaning on the mast.  
"Oh yeah?" he inquired, as he maneuvered the rudder.  
"Want me to prove it to you?" she challenged more than asked.  
"Ha!" Kisame barked, "Can you set a sail?"  
"Just tell me when," Kenmuri said in return.  
Kisame smirked and held a hand up to check the wind then nodded, "Go ahead. Show me what you know," he said.  
Kenmuri analyzed the method that the sail was secured and went to work. She climbed up the mast and untied the ropes that secured the sail. Next thing he knew the sail had dropped and Kenmuri had swung down to the deck on the main secure line and tied it down tight. Then she turned to Kisame with her hands on her hips.  
He nodded, clearly impressed, "Alright, but how's your knot work?" he asked while he locked the rudder in place.  
"Come down and check for yourself," she said leaning on the mast.  
Kisame came down from the stern platform and checked the knot that she used to secure the sail. Not only had she done the proper knot, but it was done neatly and very tight. He folded his arms and faced her, "Not bad, not bad at all. I must say, I'm impressed," he said with a nod.  
"Like I told you, I know my way around a boat," she said with a smile.  
Kisame returned to the stern and stood next to the rudder, "How did you learn how to sail?" he asked, trying to start conversation.  
Kenmuri jumped up on the stern platform and sat down so she could lean against the side of the boat, "I learned from my dad and uncle. Every summer we would sail down the coast of the sea and work as security for the festivals that took place on the southern coast of the sea," she replied.  
"Sounds like you're from further in land," Kisame said and moved over to one side of the rudder and sat down on the edge of the stern platform.  
Kenmuri nodded, "Yeah, and north of here," she answered gesturing vaguely towards the north.  
"What's it like?" He asked, genuinely curious about what it was like where she was from.  
"Well, there's a thick forests with large pine and cedar trees and carpets of moss and ferns. Small creeks and streams that flow through the woods filled with yummy fish. Rolling green hills covered in thick emerald green grass and soft sand on the beach. Thick blankets of mist and fog cover the land. Ah, these were always great places for a midnight run," she described, as she leaned her head back and looked up at the sky in a day dream.  
"Sounds kinda creepy," Kisame replied, "You must miss it."  
Kenmuri smiled and gave a sort of half laugh, "Yeah, but there isn't anything left for me there," Her eyes welled up and she looked away.  
Kisame didn't realize he had touched a nerve, but when he saw the look on her face, he remained silent. She stood up abruptly and left the stern to go stand near the bow. Her gaze was turned away from him and out across the water. She leaned casually on the rail, but remained motionless.  
A pang of concern struck Kisame, so he got up and went to go stand next to her, "Sorry, I didn't mean to…" he started, but she waved him off.  
"It's nothing you did. Just a nightmare now," she said trying desperately to keep her voice steady and almost succeeding at it.  
Not knowing what else to do, he clapped her on the shoulder firmly and turned to go back to the stern, but she grabbed his arm in a firm grip. He looked at her and noticed that her green eyes had gone dark with cool hatred. She looked extremely calm, almost too calm.  
"It was those two who did it," she said in a deadly calm voice, "Killed my entire pack and then burned down our family home. Dad and I were coming back from a hunt, didn't see it coming. Next thing I knew, I was staring into the lifeless face of my father while the blood drained out of his body as it lay several feet away. Everything was acrid smoke and flames. There is nothing left for me there," she said in a rather resigned tone.  
"Sorry you had to go through that. Ever thought of tracking down the zombie brothers after the fact?" Kisame asked.  
"What good would that do? One of them only did it because that was the contract he took. Believe it or not my kind aren't exactly welcome everywhere we go. And the other did it because he needed sacrifices for his cultic ritual. What's the point of tracking them down and killing them? That won't bring my family back or rebuild my home," Kenmuri answered. She really did care that her family was murdered and her home burned to the ground, but at the same time she wasn't about to waste her time killing the people who did it, because it wouldn't solve anything.  
Kisame didn't blame her for how she felt. There was a time he would have tracked down every enemy he had and killed them all, but she was right it wouldn't make a difference either way. They don't bother him anymore. Sure some might be trying to find him, but that was never gonna happen. Besides, even if they did it's not like they would walk away to tell anyone about where he was. What he really wanted to know was who had put a bounty on her head and what did she do to deserve it. That was best left for another time though, because after talking to her just now, he didn't think she knew. He felt that if she had known she would have told him. It didn't seem like she had anything to hide and had freely answered all the questions he had asked her so far.  
"Tell me more about Beast Bloods," he said, deliberately changing the subject.  
"What do you want to know?" Kenmuri asked, thankful to turn her mind to something else.  
Kisame shrugged, "How do the transformations work?" He asked not really knowing where to begin.  
"Well it depends on the amount of training one has. Those who grow up in a well-established and civilized pack or have a good teacher can transform at will except for during the full moon. We start feeling the effects two nights before the full moon and have to spend the next day recovering. Now to break that down a bit better, the transformation of the full moon is not done by choice and we can't escape it. During this time, we become closest to our animal side. That's not to say we become dangerously savage and go on a killing spree. Most of those cases have been greatly exaggerated, but I will go over that more later. The less you fight the transformation the less painful it is. We do retain our minds for the most part, but will act more out of instinct rather than rational thought. It is like this most of the time when we transform, but more so during the full moon.  
"With training we can learn to transform at will and remain in our right minds. With more training we can do a sort of half transfer and are capable of crude speech. We are at our most powerful in this sort of half stage, but that is also when we are the most dangerous, especially at the time of the full moon. This is because we get caught between our rational minds and instinctual mind. Although with training one can learn to control both.  
"The more we can transform at will between moons the easier the transformation is and more rational we are during the time of the full moon. It also helps us to maintain control of our forms," Kenmuri explained in depth.  
Kisame nodded, "I see. Makes sense, cause the more you train the better you get at what you are trying to accomplish," he said, "I'm a master swordsman, but I had to train long and hard to accomplish that."  
"Exactly," Kenmuri replied with a nod, "Remember when I mentioned the stories being mostly exaggerated?"  
Kisame nodded, "Yes and I had assumed they were, but it is hard to separate fact from fiction when you know nothing about Beast Bloods to begin with."  
"There are three situations that will cause a Beast Blood to rampage. The first is because they have not transformed enough if at all between moon cycles. Instinct takes over, but will not attack unless provoked or starving. That much is simple enough to understand.  
"The second reason is simple too. The individual is young or doesn't know how to control their transformations. Attacks by those in this situation are very rare because most of the time they know what they are capable of and will isolate themselves, lock themselves up or restrain themselves in some way in order to keep themselves from being provoked into a rampage. They will also gorge themselves on food beforehand and ensure they have enough food readily available to them when they do transform. So reason two boils down to lack of training and fear of themselves.  
Now with the young unless they have a natural talent for early transformation the first moon transfer is very, very difficult and if part of a civilized family group they will be closely monitored and well taken care of and protected. Often times the parents and the oldest sibling, if they have one, will transform and take them on a hunt. It makes the transformation easier and allows them to communicate easily with each other.  
The third and last reason is because they have been outcast. The only reason for them to be outcast is because of being convicted as a criminal. They enjoy killing and will transform as little as possible and even resist, as best they can, at the time of the full moon. This makes them unpredictable and very dangerous. They will often ensure that they are near a large group of people to ensure they have something to hunt.  
"These are the instances that have given birth to these stories. Some are true, but they are solely the fault of the individual who committed the crime and in some cases the family that allowed it to happen," she detailed.  
"Well that makes a lot more sense now that I know the truth about all the stories," Kisame nodded in understanding.  
"Anything else you want to know?" she asked, completely comfortable with him asking more questions.  
"Does it hurt to transform?" he asked, wondering just how the transformation really worked.  
"It can, but it's kind of complicated. If you don't transform on a regular basis it is painful, but only because you aren't use to it. Again proper training is everything," Kenmuri answered.  
"I've heard of Werewolves, but are they the same thing as a Beast Blood?" Kisame asked.  
"Werewolves are common where I am from, but no we are not the same thing. Werewolves are people affected by a virus they contract from a rabid Warg bite. Because Wargs are creatures that have the most basic of natural magic, the rules are different from any normal sort of virus. Basically what happens is when the Warg bites you it usually is in a rage. Now, because of the magical influence the person acts as if under a curse and the person over a period of time turns into a Warg themselves," Kenmuri explained.  
"Are there different types of Beast Bloods?" Kisame inquired.  
"Yes, some transform into various types of dogs, others cats, reptiles, basically any type of animal is a possibility. Most of the time it cannot be predicted what sort of animal one will transform into by looking at genetics. For example, the mother could transform into a Tiger and the father a panther and their child could be a lion. One of the main consistencies is that cats tend to be drawn to other cats and canines to other canines, does that make sense?" She explained as best she could.  
Kisame cocked an eyebrow, now that he thought about it made sense. She had a small sinewy frame with gentle curves. Her long burgundy colored hair was thick and had a healthy shine to it. He was sure that if he ran his hands through her hair that it would be silky and soft. It also explained her adept dexterity and ability to pick up on things so quickly. Her long, toned legs and supple arms probably had something to do with that. She had a reasonable bust, not overly large, but not too small either. The curve of her sides was a gentle one and curved inward and down to pleasantly rounded hips. He then noticed her eyes. They were a honey color and looked like a hybrid of that of a human and a fox. Even her ears had a slight point to them, but he guessed that was because of her being a Beast Blood. His eyes traveled back up and their gazes met.  
They both blinked a looked away. Kenmuri noticed a slightly pinkish tint to Kisame's face before he turned and went back up to the stern platform. She had noticed that, upon her telling him that she was a fox, he had allowed his eyes to wander over her body. At first she thought it was just because he was trying to figure out the connection, but then she saw the shade of pink on his face. She smiled slightly, but also felt her face flush with heat and her ears burned. Doing the best she could to appear casual, she walked back to the rail and leaned against it. She had to admit she was flattered, a little flustered, but still flattered.  
Kisame noticed her ears had turned red and she hastily moved to the rail and leaned on it as she looked out across the water. He wasn't about to apologize for allowing his eyes to wander a bit. Why should he apologize for something he wasn't sorry for?  
Kenmuri subtly cut his eyes towards the stern where Kisame was to see if he was watching her. Instead his back was to her and he seemed to be rummaging around in a small compartment in the stern. She allowed herself the liberty of letting her eyes trance over his form. His broad shoulders and sculpted back that his tight fitted shirt did little to hide. He had a nice "V" shaped torso that tapered into a lean waist and perfect backside. His pants fit in a well-tailored fashion, but didn't hide the fact that he had long powerfully built legs. She quickly averted her gaze when he turned around, but when she realized he wasn't paying any attention to her she turned her gaze back to him. He was holding something in his hand and seemed to be studying it. His gaze was then directed out over the bow. She couldn't help but admire how he looked standing at the rudder with a relaxed stance, a large hand resting on the rudder and a compass in the other. His broad, powerful looking chest suddenly expanded in a deep inhale of the salty air. His eyes were shut and his expression was one of contentment. He was in his element. She could tell he loved the sea.  
"We should be pulling into port in about 20 minutes or so," Kisame announced and pushed the rudder towards the starboard side.  
Kenmuri smiled up at him. She couldn't deny that she was happy to be going to the main port. It was hard not to look forward to getting proper clothes and other essential things. She didn't need much, but the few things she did need had been sorely missed for the past week.  
After locking the rudder in place he reopened the compartment where he had gotten the compass and put the compass back inside. He turned around after closing the hidden compartment and descended the few steps to the main deck. "Here, take this and get what you need," he said tossing a pouch slightly bigger than her palm at her.  
Kenmuri caught the pouch in both hand and was surprised at its weight. She opened it and saw a significant amount of money inside. She shut it abruptly and stared at him, "I can't take all of this," she said in astonishment.  
Kisame groaned, "I wouldn't have given you that much if I couldn't afford it," he said. There was an underlying tone of annoyance in his voice and he stared at her pointedly.  
Kenmuri sighed and crossed her arms, "Then I am going to find some way of paying you back," she stated.  
Kisame started to protest, but Kenmuri gave a sort of bark and held up her hand. Kisame groaned at her stubbornness, but secretly admired it. He knew she wasn't going to let him forget, so he had to come up with something. Then he remembered the lobsters she helped him move.  
"Consider this your payment for helping me with the lobsters," he said going back to the rudder.  
"Well you certainly make for a generous employer," Kenmuri said, knowing it was no use arguing with him, but she was defiantly going to earn her pay. She would make sure of that.  
Kisame pointed out over the bow, "There it is. We're still about twenty minutes out, but you can see the port just over there."  
Kenmuri jumped onto the mast and climbed halfway up to get a better look. Gripping one of the ropes to the mast she twisted it around her arm. Then gripping the mast with her legs tightly, she leaned away from the mast. Kisame watched her, baffled as to how she managed to pull off such a maneuver. To be honest it made him a little nervous. The last thing he wanted was to see her fall, because not only would she fall at least eight feet she would break her arm.  
"Hey, what are you doing? Get down before you break your arm," he called up to her.  
She turned to look at him and smiled down at him, "Don't worry," she said, gripping the rope tight and untwisting her arm she kicked off the mast. This put her into a full swing towards Kisame and to his surprise she let go and landed in another low crouch just in front of him. In an overdramatic way she checked herself over, "Still ok," she stated, giving him a sly smile.  
He rolled his eyes and scowled. Trying to keep a straight face while she was standing there looking at him was next too impossible. He grunted and shook his head.  
Kenmuri could tell that Kisame was genuinely bothered by her antics and decided to change the subject, "How much do lobsters usually go for?" she asked going over and opening the hatch to the lobster tank to look inside.  
Kisame shrugged, "Well that all depends on the size. Most of these ones are all the same size and rather large, so… about 1,000 ryo each," he replied blankly.  
Kenmuri raised her eyebrows in surprise, "Wow," and she began counting them.  
"I take it you don't eat lobster up north," he said with a smirk.  
Kenmuri shook her head, "Nope," she said and reached in grabbing one by its antenna and held it up to get a better look at it. Then wrinkled her nose at it as it waved its legs around and snapped its tail a couple of times.  
"Why would we want to eat a giant sea cockroach?" she asked, truly wondering why anyone would eat something like this.   
Kisame laughed heartily at her comparison. It really did look like a bug, now that he took a good look at it. His laugh settled into a smile. She had a unique way of looking at things, but he liked it.  
"I mean look at it! It's got a hard outer skeleton, many legs and antennas, it a freaking bug! It doesn't matter where it lives. Bugs can live anywhere," she insisted thrusting it at him to make a point.  
"I know, I don't particularly care for it either. Actually a lot of the creature goes to waist because most people just want the tails," He explained while chuckling.  
Kenmuri made a face, "So you're telling me not only do people eat this creepy looking thing, they only eat the butt?" she said and dropped it back into the tank and slamming the hatch shut.  
Kisame laughed again at her blunt observation, "Well when you put it that way…" he trailed off, deciding to drop the subject because there was no way he could possibly explain the expensive tastes and wants of people here in the south.  
Kenmuri looked up at him from where she now sat on the deck, "People around here are weird," she said with a smile.  
Kisame chuckled, "Well what do you eat in the north?" he asked.  
"A lot of meat: deer, boar, elk, rabbit, fish, that sort of thing," she listed off.  
"Well I can't say I've had those things, except for fish obviously," Kisame replied with a shrug.   
Kenmuri laughed, "Well that's because I don't think those things live around here," Kenmuri replied.  
"I've seen a few small wild pigs and some small deer on some of the islands. Mostly just on the one where I live though," Kisame said in response.  
"Really, do you mind if I do some hunting?" she asked excitedly.  
Kisame chuckled, amazed that it took something so simple to make her happy, "Knock yourself out," he replied.  
Kenmuri smiled, and then bounded up to the bow. She was going to try and jump up on the bow, but then decided better of it. She didn't want to alarm Kisame, by balancing on the bow as she looked towards the port. Then she ran for the mast and climbed it not unlike a skilled acrobat and perched up on the crosspiece and gave Kisame a wave and gestured to the mast.  
He threw her a wave and pointed to the port. Kenmuri nodded and began hauling up the sail. She secured it tightly and they glided into the port.  
After climbing down the mast, Kenmuri ran to the bow and gabbed one of the lines. She waited for Kisame to maneuver the boat closer to the dock and then getting a short running stat she leaped from the deck of the boat onto the deck and tied it off. Then she jumped back onboard and waited for further instructions.  
Kisame finished tying off the stern and came over to her, "Go and get anything you need and I'll deal with selling the lobsters and getting my supplies. If you aren't back by then, I'll come find you," he instructed.  
Kenmuri nodded, "Alright, you're sure you don't want me to stick around and help," she replied.  
Kisame nodded, "Go on, I got this," he said and nudged her towards the dock.  
Kenmuri jumped up onto the dock and smiled at him before trotting off down the dock towards town. She decided to go and find clothes first. It didn't take long before she found a store to buy clothes in and went inside. The shop owner was rather helpful and in no time Kenmuri had four sets of clothes with a few other pieces of clothing, along with shoes. She was even allowed to use one of the changing rooms to change into a set of clothes.  
With a recommendation of a good cosmetic shop from the owner Kenmuri set out to find it. It was a few shops down and across the street; there she was able to buy some hair bands, a good sturdy brush and some combs. She was also able to get some shampoo, soap and a body sponge. She was amazed when she went to make her purchase that the shop owner threw in a basic make over for free. So she was able to get her mop of hair taken care of, but she refused all but the most basic forms of makeup. She thanked the owner and left the shop.  
Kenmuri decided to go check in with Kisame and see how things were going. She also wanted to drop off her bags so she didn't have to carry them all over town. On her way back she noticed a very expensive looking seafood restaurant located on the waterfront, but far enough away that the stink of the port was out of range. She returned to the boat, but Kisame was not there.  
"Must be getting his supplies," She mumbled and set her bags in the bow of the boat and then departed once again. Upon reaching the end of the dock she paused a moment in thought. Then she turned and headed towards the restaurant. Maybe I can get a good buyer there. He said lobster was considered a delicacy and that rich people like it, she thought to herself.  
She circled around to the back to enter through the kitchen and knocked on the door. One of the chefs opened it, "Yeah? What is it?" he asked, his tone carrying both surprise and boredom.  
"Um, is the owner around? I need to ask him some questions," she asked with a pleasant smile.  
The chef who answered the door stared at her for a moment with a blank expression, "Yeah one sec," he sighed and disappeared back inside.  
After a short wait the owner of the restaurant came outside, "Yes, what is it?" the man dressed as the head chef asked.  
"Hi, my name is Kenmuri Shado, I was wondering if you would be interested in purchasing some lobsters?" She asked smiling pleasantly.  
"What makes your lobsters any better than the ones I already have?" the chef asked skeptically and crossed his arms.  
"If you don't mind my asking, how big are the lobsters that you have?" Kenmuri asked tilting her head ever so slightly to one side  
"About yay big," the man said holding his hands out about a foot apart.  
Kenmuri shook her head in mock disappointment, "What if I told you I know someone down on the dock right now who is selling some this big?" she replied holding her hands up about fifteen inches apart and for extra measure she held them up in front of her chest.  
The owner's eyes grew wide for a moment and he raised his eyebrows, "Really?" he said, then quickly regained his composure.  
Kenmuri nodded, "And for a fair price too?" she said adding a wink.  
The owner grunted, "And what would that price be?" he asked going back to his grumpy looking self.  
"Only 1200 ryo a head," Kenmuri said flashing him a cute smile.  
The owners mouth nearly fell to the ground, "What! I had to pay 2,000 just for the smaller ones I got earlier," he said in surprise.  
Kenmuri smiled and turned to leave, "Just look for the tall guy with dark blue hair and silver eyes," she said waving at the restaurant owner as she walked away. She smiled to herself knowing that Kisame was in for a surprise.  
Kisame returned to his boat and began loading his supplies onto it when a man came running down the dock dressed like a head chef from a high end restaurant. He was pushing a large bin. Kisame was going to just ignore him, but that was before the man stopped in front of him.  
"Are you the one who is selling lobsters?" he asked, a little out of breath.  
"Yes," Kisame replied really confused as to how this guy found out so quickly.  
"A young woman came by a few minutes ago saying to look for the guy with dark blue hair and silver eyes. You're the only one who fits that description. She said you would be selling them for 1200 a head," the man said speaking very fast.  
"What did this woman look like?" Kisame asked still a little confused.  
"Um…" the man squinted his eyes shut in an effort to remember, "Sort of reddish purple hair, golden eyes. She was very pretty in a foreign sort of way,"  
Kisame nodded mostly to himself, "Yep that's her," he mumbled.  
"I'll take all of them," the chef said pushing the large bin towards Kisame.  
Kisame froze and blinked, "All…all of them?" he repeated.  
The chef nodded, "Yes, how many are there?" the chef asked.  
"125," Kisame answered still amazed at what was happening.  
"That's perfect," the chef said, "Do you need any help?"  
Kisame nodded in agreement and motioned for the man to follow him on board. He opened up the hatch where the lobsters were kept. A look of amazement crossed the chef's face, "Wow she wasn't kidding when she said they were bigger than the ones I paid for earlier," he said.  
Kisame shrugged and the two began moving the lobsters to the bin.  
Kenmuri walked back to the boat carrying one large bag from the tea shop where she had purchased a small tea set and some tea, a bag of the same size from the herb shop where she had purchased some herbs and some storage containers. Around her right leg she had strapped an antler handled hunting knife. Across her back she had slung a Penobscot styled bow and a quiver of arrows.  
Kisame had just finished taking the last crate on board when he looked up and had to look twice when he saw Kenmuri returning from her shopping trip in town. She looked altogether different from before. He felt his face flush as he watched her approach.  
Her thick burgundy colored hair had been braided back on the side in four small braids and the rest was left relatively loose minus the small braids here and there. Her honey colored eyes had been outlined very thinly in dark brown and her lips had a bit of a shine and had a slight pout to them. She wore a sleeveless wrap style cropped shirt, olive green in color, which hugged her frame. Around her waist she wore a dark skirt, made from thin leather, mid-thigh in length and cut up both sides. Beneath that she wore a pair of close fitting, shorts that matched her shirt. She also wore a pair of strappy styled dark brown sandals. Her ears were pierced and she wore a golden ring and stud in both ears and a golden ring in her left. In her right ear she had a golden ring in the upper cartilage of her ear and a smaller ring just below that one and then a stud with a three link chain with what looked like a tooth of some sort, in the lobe next to gilded stud.  
"So that's how they look in the north," he mumbled. To him she looked like some kind of tribal huntress pacing up the dock. He crossed over to the dock side of the boat and held his hand out for her to hand him the bags.  
"Thank you," She said handing him the bags with a smile, then leaped up onto the deck of the boat near the bow. She removed her bow from her back and held it out to him, "What do you think?" she asked with a proud smile.  
Kisame took the bow from her and examined it. He tested the string and found it to have a heavy draw. He looked over at Kenmuri with one brow raised, "Are you able to draw this back?" he asked wondering if she had bought it because it looked nice. He still didn't know her that well, so he didn't know what her abilities were.  
She reached around behind her back and released a clip at the bottom of her quiver which allowed the quiver to drop down to her hip and held her hand out for her bow. Kisame handed it to her and quicker than he anticipated she leaped to one side while taking an arrow from the quiver and fired it at the stern.  
"Does that answer your question?" Kenmuri asked looking at Kisame with a smirk. She wasn't offended that Kisame doubted her abilities. He barely knew her, and she was eager to prove herself.  
Kisame stood frozen, wide eyed and taking quick shallow breaths. He stared at where a single arrow was embedded into the end of the rudder handle still quivering slightly, "I stand corrected," he managed to say.  
Kenmuri smiled, "I look forward to going on a hunt," she said readjusting her quiver and reclipping it then removing it and setting it and her bow in the front of the boat with her other things.  
"Remind me never to get on your bad side. I would hate to be on the wrong end of that," Kisame replied shaking off his start and managing a good natured chuckle.  
Kenmuri smiled and looked around. Kisame had stacked his supplies in the center of the boat and everything seemed to be in order. She shaded her eyes and looked up at the sun which was still high in the sky, but had started its downward arch.  
"You hungry?" Kisame asked seemingly out of nowhere.  
Kenmuri looked around and found that he had left the boat and was now standing on the dock. Her stomach growled and Kisame smirked and waved for her to follow him, "Come on, I know a place not too far from here," he said over his shoulder.  
Kenmuri jumped down onto the dock and trotted after him. She found that she had to walk at a fairly quick pace in order to keep up with Kisame's long casual strides. They walked to the end of the dock and over to a small outside eating area. There were various small round charcoal grills with chairs around them.  
Kisame gestured to the area, "Anywhere you want," he said, indicating that he wanted Kenmuri to choose.  
She walked over to a small grill with two chairs and sat down. Kisame sat across from her. No sooner had they sat down did someone come over to them and handed them a single paged menu with a selection of various items that could be grilled and disappeared again.  
Kisame merely glanced at the menu already knowing what he wanted. Kenmuri on the other hand studied the menu and picked out several things that sounded good to her. The waiter came back out carrying two small foldable tables on one arm and a tray of two ice waters and a small bottle of Sake and a Sake glass on a tray. Kisame took the small tables from her, opened them up and set one next to him and the other he held out to Kenmuri. She took it and set it next to her and the waitress set the small bottle of Sake and its glass along with a glass of ice water on the small table next to Kisame and the other glass of water on Kenmuri's.  
"Are you ready?" she asked politely with a smile.  
Kisame gave a nod and said, "The usual."  
"And for you?" she asked looking at Kenmuri and a brief expression of confusion crossed her face, but as quickly as it had come it disappeared.  
"Um… one order of beef and one of salmon please," Kenmuri said and handed her menu to the waitress who was holding her hand out for it.  
The waitress left heading back inside the small restaurant. Kisame chuckled, "Surf and turf?" he pointed out.  
Kenmuri nodded with a smile, "I can't help it. I like my red meat," she said.  
Kisame grinned, "I'm not judging," he said shrugging.  
The waitress came back with a huge platter of steaming muscles, "Here ya go," she said and set the platter on the small table with a large bowl.  
Kisame grunted his thanks and held it out to Kenmuri, "Try some?" he asked offering her some.  
Kenmuri recoiled slightly, "What is that?" she asked.  
"Muscles," Kisame said setting the platter in his lap and opened the muscle completely and ate the small amount of meat out of the shell, then discarded the empty shell in the large bowl.  
Kenmuri's lip curled instinctively and she shook her head, "No thank you," she said.  
"Your loss," he said eating another one.  
Kenmuri watched as he devoured the whole platter in a matter of minutes. She had never seen such a thing before and couldn't understand why someone would want to eat something like that. Then again, Kisame implied that he didn't care for red meat, so who was she to judge.  
Kisame wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and placed the last shell in the now heaping bowl. The waitress returned and took the bowl and empty platter away and came back with two platters. One had a variety of different types of fish, with some shrimp and some skewer sticks. This one was set down on the table next to Kisame, who nodded in thanks again and began placing pieces of shrimp on one off the skewers. The other platter had pieces of thinly sliced beef and pieces salmon and some skewer sticks, this one was set on the small table next to Kenmuri.  
"Thank you," she said with a nod and began working one of the pieces of beef onto one of the skewers.  
"Let me know if you need anything," the waitress said leaving a box of matches and some small leaves of paper sitting on the grill.  
Kisame grabbed the matches and paper and lit the grill. Once the flames were licking at the grate on the grill, he placed a few skewers of shrimp and fish on his side of the grill. Kenmuri placed her skewers of beef on the opposite side. She barely waited for the pieces of beef to get warm before taking them off and eating them.  
The two ate in silence as both were very hungry. Once finished both sat back in their chairs and reflected on their meal. Kisame spoke first, "Had a peculiar person come and find me today," he said in an attempt to fish for an answer.  
Kenmuri on the other hand appeared to know nothing about it, "Oh?" she said sounding interested.  
"Yeah, a chef from one of the expensive places here in town. He said a pretty young woman came and told him about some lobsters and to go to the docks and look for the man with dark blue hair and silver eyes. Do you know anything about that?" Kisame asked more directly.  
Kenmuri stared at him blankly for a moment then a smile crept over her face, "Sorry if I stepped out of line, but I did say that I was going to do my best to help you," She answered.  
Kisame chuckled and nodded, "That you did. Well thanks. Don't worry about the meal. I'll get it," he said good-naturedly.  
"No, you've already…" Kenmuri began to protest, but stopped when Kisame stared at her with an irritated look.  
"Will you just stop and let me do what I want," he answered calmly so as not to cause further protest from Kenmuri.  
Kenmuri bit her tongue and remained silent, but nodded with a small smile. She was not use to people treating her this nicely. Most of the time she just got looks of contempt or fear, sometimes not even that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three  
The waitress brought the check and Kisame paid for the meal. He stood and stretched his legs, "We should start heading home. As things are we will be getting home just as it starts to get dark," he said looking in the direction of his boat.  
Kenmuri nodded in agreement and stood. She followed Kisame back to the boat and assisted in casting off. Kenmuri took up her position near the mast and watched Kisame as he worked at the rudder to get them into position. She watched as he pushed and pulled on the rudder, his muscles flexing and relaxing as he worked the rudder. They caught the current and Kisame planted his feet in a wide stance and leaned back on the rudder, bracing it under one arm to hold it in place.  
She was jerked out of her trance in watching him when he gave a sharp whistle to get her attention. He nodded to the mast, and she climbed it quickly. She was happy to get away from the deck, so he couldn't see her blushing.  
Kisame watched as she expertly climbed the mast. She climbed it much like a cat or squirrel would, rather than like a monkey. Her movements were graceful and deliberate. She was mesmerizing to watch as she worked. In no time at all she had released the sail and it billowed out, obscuring her from view. A few moments later she appeared, swinging out from below the sail. She landed lightly on her feet and secured the rope she had used to the mast.  
Now that the sail was engaged, Kisame was able to lock the rudder in place easily. After doing so, he sat down, wiping the sweat from his brow. Kenmuri came over and knelt down behind him.  
"What are you doing?" he asked, casting a defensive glance over his shoulder.  
Kenmuri placed her hand gently on his back between his shoulders, "Just checking on your stitches," she said using a gentle tone.  
Kisame grunted in response, as she ran her fingers over the skin of his shoulder with great care. His skin twitched under her feather light touch. She noticed that his wound had healed up considerably, since she had stitched him up yesterday.  
"I see you're a quick healer," she observed, letting her fingers run over the stitches.  
Kisame shrugged, "I've always been that way," he said casually.  
"Well that's good, because tonight I'll need to take them out," Kenmuri replied and stood. She allowed her hand to travel across his shoulder, and up the back of his neck, before leaving his skin, this gesture was done deliberately. It was her way of communicating, that she had no hard feelings towards him, for snapping at her over their lunch.  
Before he realized what he had done, Kisame reached up and grabbed her wrist as she moved away from him. It was an instinctive reaction of not wanting her to move too far away from him. Kenmuri froze and looked down at him. He released her wrist almost instantly and looked up at her.  
"Sit with me," was all he said. His tone was not pleading, or demanding, but at the same time he wasn't asking either.  
Kenmuri smiled, "I'd be happy to," she said in a gentle tone that was accompanied by a warm smile. She was happy to know that he wanted her near. It told her that he enjoyed her company. He wasn't much of a talker, but that was fine. She wasn't much of a talker either, but she did enjoy being around him.  
Leaning back on her hands, she took in a deep relaxing breath of sea air. Even the sun felt good, as it warmed her skin. Then she remembered something that Kisame had told her earlier that day.  
"What was it the guy who bought the lobsters said again?" she asked in a casual manner.  
"That you were pretty," Kisame answered, giving her a quizzical look.  
Kenmuri nodded, "What do you think?" she asked, deciding to be bold, and just ask him out right, what he thought.  
Kisame knew exactly what he thought, but wasn't about to tell her just yet. He decided to just be honest, but brief.  
"I think he's right," he said simply as he tried to quell the heat rising to his face. He was only half successful in that battle. What did he have to be ashamed of? Here he was sitting next to a gorgeous woman and she had no complaints. She actually wanted to be here with him. As mind blowing as that was to him, he made the choice not be in denial about it.  
Kenmuri smiled at him. She was glad he thought of her that way. It was clear that now that he wanted to have her around. It meant a lot to her. She even took note of what he had said back at the small restaurant. 'We should head back home.' He said, "We" which included her, but even more importantly, he implied that his home was their home. She looked forward to going hunting when she got back, but now that she really thought about it she wasn't sure if she would have enough daylight. She didn't want to risk transforming so soon after her recovery. As it was, the sun was starting to set. There was also unloading the boat when they got back.  
"What time do you think we will get back?" she asked, looking up at the sky.  
Kisame shaded his eyes and looked out to the horizon, "The sun should be just touching the horizon by the time we get back, he said, I'd say we've got about another," he paused to estimate, "hour or so before we get back."  
Kenmuri nodded indicating that she understood, "So we should have just enough time to unload the boat before dark," she said conclusively.  
Kisame shrugged, "Meh, not necessarily. I might take some stuff off, but not all of it," Kisame answered.  
"Makes sense. It's not like anyone can come take it. It doesn't look like it's going to rain any time soon either," Kenmuri replied.  
Kisame chuckled, "Well yeah, but that's not the reason I wasn't going to unload everything tonight," he replied.  
Kenmuri cocked an eyebrow at him, "Why not then? It means less work later on," she asked.  
"Because I don't feel like it," he said laughing.  
Kenmuri joined in laughing with him, "That's a good reason," she agreed. Her smile disappeared quickly though, as the thought of needing to leave soon came into her mind. She was almost well enough to head out. Two more days and she would be back to feeling like her normal self.  
Kisame saw the change come across her face and grew concerned, "What's wrong?" he asked.  
"Well, it will only be a couple of more days and then I will have to go," she said, not making eye contact.  
"Why would you have to go?" Kisame asked, his tone was casual, but had a hint of concern hidden in it.  
"Well, there would be no point in my staying. You've done so much for me, and I am very grateful, but I never stay in one place very long. It keeps the bounty hunters off my trail," Kenmuri replied, her tone was hollow.  
"Those two won't be back," Kisame replied, almost too quickly.  
"No, maybe not, but there are others," she replied.  
Kisame sighed, "Well, I'm not going to stop you, but…" He trailed off. He wasn't sure how to ask her to stay. One thing was for certain, he definitely didn't want her to go.  
"But what?" Kenmuri prodded.  
Kisame sighed, "Okay look, I'm not going to stop you if you choose to leave, but I'm not going to be happy to see you leave. I don't know how to say it without sounding desperate, but the truth is I'm lonely. I don't like most people, because when I'm around people who get too close, bad things tend to happen. Besides Itachi, you were the only person I have ever felt totally comfortable around." Kisame began to babble.  
Kenmuri stopped him by giving him a kiss on the cheek, "Hush, I won't be going anywhere," she said and went back to leaning back on her hands.  
Kisame was nearly dumbstruck and he stared in shock. Then shook his head to clear it, "Wait, you're not leaving? First you say you're leaving, now you say you're not," he said trying to figure out what she was going to do.  
Kenmuri shrugged, "You don't want me to leave and I don't want to go, so I'm not leaving," she replied simply.  
"If you had no intention of leaving, why didn't you just say so," Kisame shot back in annoyance.  
"I needed to know if I was welcome," Kenmuri said looking over at him.  
"Whatever gave you the idea that you would not be welcome," Kisame asked, his voice rising a little bit.  
"I wanted to hear you say it," Kenmuri shot back, her eyes flashing.  
"All you had to do was ask," Kisame shouted in exasperation.  
"Well not everyone wants to be my friend and go skipping through fields of daisies while holding hands," she said angrily. Her eyes were now glowing slightly and her teeth had changed a little.  
Kisame now realized that he had really upset her, but she had upset him as well. Why couldn't she just ask? It's not like he would have said no. He looked away from her and fixed his gaze on the bow of the boat.  
Kenmuri took a couple of calming breaths before speaking again, "I'm sorry. I have a hard time being direct. I don't want to take advantage of anyone and I certainly don't want to overstay my welcome," Kenmuri explained.  
"I don't want to sound desperate for company. The few people that I have come in contact with, who have accepted me have died. Even Itachi lives three to four hours from where I live," Kisame said, trying to explain to her how he was feeling. He wasn't very good at it, but at the same time he hated talking about his feelings. It was just weird.  
Kenmuri put her hand on his arm, "You don't have to explain anything. I get it. At least you have Itachi," she replied, her voice was now calm and even sad.  
Kisame looked over at her, "Look, I know we just met and all, but don't assume you know how I will respond to something," he said in a serious tone.  
"I will try to remember that," she replied with a nod.  
Kisame stared at her for a moment and she stared back. She felt her face get hot and her chest tighten. Standing up abruptly he checked their heading. He saw they were almost home, so he unlocked the rudder and pulled hard to steer them out of the current.  
Kenmuri leaped up and pulled the quick release on the sail and held tight as the wind caught it. She watched Kisame carefully as he maneuvered the rudder and she steered the sail in accordance to his movements. They worked together and within twenty minutes they were moored at the dock. Kenmuri had climbed up and secured the sail nice and tight and Kisame locked the rudder into place. He looked up at her and watched as she tied up her last knot. The light sea breeze blew her hair gently causing it to blow away from her face, it glowed dark red from the sunlight shining through it from behind her. She swung down from where she had been perched on the top mast and landed gracefully on the deck. He allowed himself a slight smile and headed towards the bow, where Kenmuri still had her things. She followed him and gathered as much as she could carry and headed for the dock.  
Between the two of them they were able to easily take her things inside. Kisame was standing at the sink filling the kettle with some water to heat for tea when he felt a feather light touch across the stitches in his shoulder. He turned his head to look over his shoulder.  
"We need to get these out," Kenmuri said as she ran her fingers over the stitches, she spoke in a quiet and gentle tone.  
Kisame grunted in response and took the kettle outside to set in the small fire pit. Kenmuri rummaged around in her bags and found a small pocket knife, then went outside where Kisame was. The kettle was sitting on the grate over a newly started fire. He was sitting on the couch, leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees watching the flames lick around the kettle. She sat down next to him and covered the area of his shoulder that had the stitches with her hand and closed her eyes. Concentrating a little and focusing on the wound her hand glowed slightly and then faded back to normal.  
Kisame felt a comforting warmth spread over his shoulder and he glanced warily over at her, "Don't overdo it," he cautioned remembering when she passed out the day before.  
She gave him a small smile and began using the knife to carefully remove the stitches. He sat resting his elbows on his knee and hands clasped together with his chin resting on his thumbs. She didn't numb the area because she thought him weak, but to make him comfortable. This he knew, but it was also nice to just be comfortable. Why complain about a good thing?  
"There, last one," she said and removed the last stitch and allowing her hand to slide down his back gently before she stood, folding the knife back up. Placing the knife on the table she checked the water in the kettle.  
"Thanks," Kisame said rubbing the area where the stitches use to be. Her touch had been gentle and calming, but at the same time left him wanting more.  
"You're welcome," she said with a gentle smile. The water was boiling, so she went inside to find her tea set and tea. Kisame sat back, resting one arm across the back of the couch and sighed in a relaxed manner. He watched as she brought everything out on a tray and artfully mixed and poured the tea. Holding her cup in one hand, she held out the other cup to Kisame.  
He nodded his thanks and took the cup from her gently. She waited in anticipation to see if he liked it. He sipped it slowly and savored the taste.  
"What do you think?" she asked hesitantly. She was really hoping that it wasn't too sweet or fruity tasting.  
Kisame tilted his head back in a relaxed manner and swallowed leisurely. After a pause he nodded, "I like it. Not too sweet, not too bitter, not too fruity. It's well balanced and has a pleasant and smooth aftertaste," he summed up.  
Kenmuri stared at him in surprise and then blinked, "Um, I never thought you would have given such a thorough critique," She replied.  
Kisame gave a shrug and lazy wave of his hand as he took another sip from the cup, "You asked," he replied.  
"Fair enough," she agreed with a smile.  
He tilted his head in the direction of the seat next to him, "Take a seat, you've been on your feet all day," he said.  
Kenmuri smiled and sat down next to him. She sipped at her tea quietly and enjoyed the warmth of holding the warm cup in her hands. It was comforting to her and something she hadn't been able to feel for a long time. Now that she was feeling much better she was able to relax a little. She had the sudden desire to lean against him, but wasn't sure how that would be received.  
"How are your feet doing by the way?" Kisame asked not turning his head so much as shifting his eyes in her direction.  
"They're a little sore, but I'll be fine," Kenmuri replied quietly.  
"Well, get some rest and you will feel better," Kisame replied and prepared to get up.  
"Please stay," she replied turning and putting a hand on his chest to keep him from moving.  
Kisame blinked for a moment and then relaxed, "Alright," he said and leaned back assuming the same position he had been in before.  
Kenmuri quickly removed her hand and was silent for a few moments, then she leaned against him resting her head against his chest and shoulder. It was a bold move on her part and despite not knowing how this gesture would be received, she decided to test the waters.  
Kisame was taken by surprise when she had decided to lean against him. It was something he never thought would happen to him. He put his arm around her as he finished off his tea, then rested his chin on the top of her head. He liked having her close to him. She was very strong and capable, that much was proved today, but right now she seemed so small and fragile. He wanted to protect her from here on out.  
Kenmuri was only half surprised when she found that he had put his arm around her, but resting his chin on her head was something entirely unexpected. Sitting there right now, she felt safe. This simple gesture told her just how much he really had come to care about her. It meant something to her because she had found that she cared about him too. She liked that he respected her and didn't treat her like she was fragile. The fatigue from the day finally caught up with her. That coupled with the warmth of being so close to Kisame her eyes began to droop.  
Kisame sat quietly feeling quite content. It felt good to have her leaning against him. He began running his fingers through her hair as he stared out at the sea. Her hair felt like silk running between his fingers. He reached over and took her tea cup from her and set it next to his. He took the liberty of smelling her hair, which smelled of the salty sea air, but also of freesia and orchid. A strange and overpowering feeling came over him quite suddenly, the want and need to protect her, but also to make her his. He leaned his head down and rested his cheek against the side of her face.  
"I want you to know that I will always be here for you," he promised.  
His breath was warm against her neck and his voice was low and slightly gravely. He spoke with a serious tone, but also with a slight seductive tone to it.  
Resting her forehead against his neck she spoke her words of thanks, "Thank you, I can't tell you how much the means to me."  
He lowered his head slightly so that he was right next to her ear, "Sorry for shouting at you earlier today," he said softly, allowing his lips to barley brush against her skin as he spoke. He was half hoping he wasn't crossing a line, but at the same time he really didn't care. Having her this close and leaning against him was effecting his good judgment.  
A shiver ran through Kenmuri when Kisame spoke. She knew he was acting this way on purpose, but found herself liking the turn of events. Ever since they had started on their journey back Kenmuri had wondered how he would act when he got into a sort of romantic mood. These thoughts had taken place in the back of her mind, but were now making themselves known. She liked this side of him and wanted to see how far he was going to take this.  
Deciding to turn things up a little bit she ran her hand across his abs and up his chest. Raising her head to look at him, she felt his hand slide down to rest on the back of her neck. She leaned in close to his ear, and tilted her head up to speak to him.  
"Don't worry about it,” she said letting her lips brush against the skin of his neck as she spoke. She took things a step further by kissing him gently on the neck just below his ear.  
Kisame wasn't sure where she was taking this, but he liked where it was going so far. Reaching around to one side he swept her hair away from her neck. He wanted to see just how far he could take things before she stopped him. She had already said that she wasn't going to be leaving, but he had originally thought that she was just going to be staying on the island and just being friends. Sure there had been some innocent flirting that had gone on between them, but this was much more than flirting. She was showing much more interest in him than just being friends.  
She had such a petite frame that his hand covered the whole back of her neck. He leaned his head down to her now exposed neck and after a moment's pause, his lips and teeth graze lightly across her skin. When he came to her shoulder he could hold back no longer and ran the tip of his tongue over the small spans of exposed skin. He then claimed the area biting just a little too hard, knowing full well that he would be leaving a mark. At first he hoped he wasn't taking things too far, but now he really didn't care.  
Kenmuri shivered at the feel of his teeth scraping across her skin. It felt as though his breath could burn her skin, but then she felt his tongue against her skin just before she felt the sharpness of his teeth press a little more aggressively against her skin. She gasped and fisted part of his shirt in her hand in surprise and pushed him slightly. He grunted and released her sitting up straighter with a heavy sigh.  
"Sorry about that," He said wiping his hand over his mouth, "I couldn't help myself." He flashed a toothy grin at her, but didn't make another move.  
Kenmuri felt her face suddenly feel like it was on fire. She didn't mind the attention, but she hadn't expected him to bite her. Under normal circumstances she wouldn't have minded a little bite her and there, but she barely knew him. It had caught her off guard and wasn't sure how to proceed now. She was at a loss for words. At the same time, she couldn't blame him She had encouraged him, just didn't know things would escalate so quickly. She cursed herself inwardly for her inexperience. Kisame was slightly older than her and had been around the block a few times.  
Kisame heaved a sigh and stood up, stretching his arms up over his head, "Well I'm gonna go check the traps. We'll pick this up at a later time," he said and left the covered porch area. He determined that it would be a good idea to leave for a while, before he took things too far.  
Kenmuri watched him leave. He walked with a bit of a swagger and she couldn't help but check him out as he walked away. He gave a backward glance over one shoulder and flashed a smile, but continued down the dock to the stairs that went to the lower level. That smile told her that he held no hard feelings towards her for telling him to stop.  
She breathed a sigh once he was out of view and rubbed her shoulder where he had bitten her. A small smile crossed her face as she was now able to calm down a bit and think clearly. I will have to be more careful in the future. I give him credit though, he didn't press things any further, she thought to herself. She moved over to the place where Kisame had been sitting finding it still rather warm. She lay down and after doing her best to keep her mind from racing she managed to fall asleep.  
Kisame grabbed the large bucket he used when he checked traps and began going from trap to trap. He knew he might have stepped over a line with Kenmuri, but at the same time he only half regretted it. She seemed to be enjoying herself and he wasn't going to deny the fact that he had been. The more he thought about it made sense that she would respond that way, they had only met yesterday after all. He grunted in a brief moment of frustration, "Why did she have to be such a damn tease!" he grumbled and kicked a trap back into the water. He didn't feel like he owed her an apology, but felt that he might have to say something in order for her to not feel like he held anything against her. He also hoped she didn't hold that small incident against him.  
Carrying the bucket back with only a couple of crabs inside, he emptied them into the holding pen, hung the bucket back up and then climbed the stairs. He saw that she had lain down on the couch; well clearly she wasn't so put off that she couldn't sleep. Upon entering the screened in area he found that not only had she gone to sleep, she had moved over to where he had been sitting and fell asleep there. He smiled at her sentimentality, but also because this told him that she harbored no hard feelings towards him.  
A slight breeze blew in from across the water and she shivered. Noticing this he went inside and got his robe. He laid it gently over her small form and turned to go.  
"Good night," he heard her say as she snuggled down into his robe.  
He walked back over to her and kissed her forehead and ruffled her hair, "See ya in the morning," he said then disappeared inside. He stripped down and crawled into bed. After forcing his mind to become still he was able to find sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. I hope this chapter wasn't too boring. Next chapter will be more interesting. Promise.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day of rest and relaxation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter contains a lemon. Could be a stand alone chapter so if you don't like reading lemons you will just have to be patient and wait for the next chapter.

Chapter Three  
It had been two weeks since Kisame had rescued Kenmuri from the sea and brought her back to his home. They were almost inseparable. Whenever Kisame went out to sea Kenmuri went with him; she not only manned the sail but also waxed ropes and mended nets.  
Whenever she was out walking on the island, he would go with her, he liked her company. She was not put off by his dark and sometimes morbid sense of humor in the least. He knew he could be a bit of a smart ass, but he found that she could be too. Not to mention she was sexy as hell. These past couple weeks had been enjoyable, but ever since the night he had bit her shoulder, there was always a small bit of tension between them. Evenings were the hardest because that was usually when they seemed to be the most comfortable and relaxed. She would lean against him while they were sitting on the couch or run her hand over his arm when talking to him. It drove him crazy.  
Kenmuri was also starting to feel frustrated by the constant tension that was between them. It was especially frustrating when Kisame was working, because most of the time he was shirtless. Whenever he took his shirt off, she could hardly take her eyes off him.  
Tensions had started to rise just over the past two days in particular. Today was particularly tense, because Kisame had decided to take the day off and just relax. They had slept in this morning, not getting up until almost noon. After eating some fish for breakfast and they sat for a while just enjoying the warm sea breeze as it blew in from across the water.  
Kisame looked over at Kenmuri, who was lying on a soft mat dozing in the warm sun. She was wearing a cropped sage green sleeveless top and a matching wrap skirt. From how she was laying on her back the fabric overlap of her skirt had separated at the side revealing her whole leg and most of her thigh. She ran her fingers through her hair absent-mindedly as she relished in the warmth of the sun on her skin. Seeing her like this reminded him of a picture of a siren he had once seen in one of Itachi's mythology books. He looked away and stared at the floor, 'does she not know it takes everything I have to not just jump on her when she's like this?' If she was going to be a tease, then there was no reason he had to play nice either.  
"Wanna go to the cove?" he asked standing up.  
Kenmuri's ears pricked up a little. "Sure," she said looking up at him. She loved going to the cove, it was one of her favorite places to go. The sand was so soft, like lying on a pillow and the water was warm and relaxing. Not to mention it had a high rock face on all sides, which made it very secluded. The only way to get there was to hike through the forest and then jump down onto the soft sand or to swim there.  
She stretched, arching her back and got up. "You do realize it's one of my favorite places to go, so I'm never going to say no," she said. After rolling up the mat she had been laying on, she took it inside.  
"Yeah, you'll love it even more after today," he mumbled as he watched her go into the house.  
She poked her head out the door when she heard him mumble something, "Huh?"  
"I said it's going to get hot today," Kisame said speaking a little louder.  
Kenmuri went back inside and retrieved a blanket roll that had been bound with a leather strap. She slung it over her shoulder as she exited the house to find Kisame already walking down the dock towards the island.  
Adjusting the strap so it crossed her chest, she ran after him. Lengthening her stride, she flew past him calling over her shoulder, "Race you there."  
Kisame chuckled and let her have a head start before he sprang forward. As soon as he had caught up to her she sprinted forward into the tree line. He had assumed the forest would slow her down, but she navigated her way through the trees parkour shinobi style. He did his best to keep up with her which for him took a little more effort than he had thought. Her ability to keep pace still impressed him though. It didn't take long for them to reach the small cove. Kisame thought she would stop once she came to the cliff, instead she navigated her way down expertly, much like a mountain goat. In no time she had made it to the bottom and was standing on the beach.  
Kenmuri looked up and saw Kisame running along the top of the cliff. He reached the edge and leapt off. Executing a perfect swan dive he hit the water with barely a splash. She knew he would stay in the water for a while, so she took the blanket roll from her back and spread it over the sand. After weighing down the corners with some large rock to keep it flat, she stretched out over the blanket and came to rest on her back.  
Her thoughts drifted back to last night when he had decided to be particularly vexing. She had just brought up a sea bass from the holding tank and had removed the head, tail, descaled it and skinned it. She was in the middle of cleaning out the guts when she felt herself pressed up against the deep sink and two large hands slid around her hips to her waist.  
\---  
"What smells so good?" he asked in a low and suggestive tone.  
"Dinner," she replied simply and scooped out a pile of fish eggs and guts from the belly of the fish. She had fish eggs and entrails up to her elbows and really just wanted to get the task over with. Kisame reached out and grabbed her wrist bringing it up to his mouth where he licked some of the fish remains off in a slow and savoring manner.  
"Mmm, Sea Bass," he said with a chuckle before going back up to the house.  
Kenmuri growled and chucked one of the pairing knives at him causing it to barely miss him, sticking into one of the posts by his head. He just gave a harsh chuckle, knowing she would never actually hit him and made his way back up to the top level.  
Later on they were getting ready to say good night, he came over to her and gave her what started out as a seemingly innocent hug. He had even kissed her on the forehead. She hugged him back, and then felt his hands travel down her back to her ass and pull her in tight against him. He lowered his head to her ear and whispered, "Pleasant dreams," before going inside.  
She darted past him, making it to the door of the house before he could and banged the door shut and leaned against it. He didn't even try to force it open, he just laughed and went over to the couch outside. That night she slept in his room and found that he had an amazingly comfortable bed. She had been sleeping outside on the couch for a few reasons. One, because she hated the idea of kicking him out of his own bed and two she simply liked sleeping outside. The smell and feel of the sea breeze was comforting.  
\---  
Kenmuri rolled over and lay on her belly with her chin resting on her folded arms. Her skirt had since shifted to just barely cover her ass and she breathed a sigh. Today could not be any more perfect, but she suddenly felt like things were about to change. The excitement that she suddenly felt had her on edge and all her sense were at their peak.  
Kisame took his time coming to the surface. When he did surface, he only allowed his face to break the surface before diving back down below. He came to rest on his back on the sandy sea bed.  
He remembered yesterday morning when he had been leaning on the rail of his back porch and she had come to stand next to him. To let him know she was awake by running her hand up his back. After scratching him across the shoulders, she ran her hand down his back and stopped at his ass giving it a squeeze before walking away with a soft chuckle and a yawn. He clenched his jaw even now when he remembered that, 'Damn fox,' he thought and twisted in the water, using a powerful stroke to cut through it.  
Kenmuri lazily watched the waves break gently on the shore through half closed eyes, when she saw Kisame appear on the sand as the water receded. He stood up, his black tank top clinging tightly to his well-defined torso. Grabbing the hem of his shirt he pulled it up over his head and threw it to one side as he walked towards her. His hair hung down partially over one side of his face slightly obscuring one eye. Flicking his head to one side to shake the water out he turned his gaze to the sight before him.  
Kenmuri lay on her belly with her head rested on her folded arms and she appeared to be dozing in the warm sun. Her skirt barely covered her ass from view and being that she was wearing a cropped shirt, nearly all of her back was exposed. He ran his fingers through his hair a few times to get the rest of the water out which caused it to partially stand back up again.  
Kenmuri watched Kisame approach and caught the slight predatory look in his eyes. She knew he had something on his mind and didn't have to guess what it was. Then again seeing him soaking wet like this and in his element, she was thinking about it too.  
Kisame dropped to his knees, straddling her legs and planted his hands on either side of her hips. She felt his lips and teeth scrape across her lower back and shivered from the sensation. He began leaving a trail of heated kisses up her spine until he reached her ear. Running the tip of his tongue along the outer shell of his ear and breathing down her neck, he growled into her ear, "It's been two weeks."  
She tilted her head back to rest on his shoulder. Her breath caught in her throat when she felt his teeth graze down the side of her neck. He now lay flat against her with his weight supported on his elbows as he held her tight and began nipping at her skin. She hummed contently and let a sigh escape from her as she arched into him.  
Adjusting his arms slightly, he gained access to her breasts and began massaging them in a firm grip. He began grinding his hips hard against her as he buried his head in her neck. Growling a little, he became increasingly more aggressive as he felt himself rapidly growing harder with each second.  
Kenmuri could feel his hard length against her ass as he ground his hips against her. She could tell he had a considerable package, but she also didn't expect anything otherwise from such a formidable man. She let out a slight moan before she could stop herself and Kisame roughly bit her neck just barely breaking the skin.  
She shifted slightly and Kisame allowed her to turn over onto her back. No sooner was she on her back than his lips met hers and he nipped at her lower lip. She gasped and he slipped his tongue inside caressing the top of her tongue in a heated, passionate kiss.  
Her hands went to the back of his neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss by sliding her tongue along his. She pressed her hips up against his and her nails down his neck and chest. Kisame shifted to lay partially to one side of her and released her so she could regain her breath. As she lay panting for breath, he caressed her inner thigh, slowly creeping upwards. He had expected to find some sort of under garment material, but to his surprise all he found was smooth satiny skin.  
"You came prepared. Have you ever done this before?" he said in a low, deep tone as he touched his forehead to hers.  
"No," she panted and nipped at his lower lip.  
"I'll try and be gentle then," Kisame replied as he caressed over the area in its entirety before slowly separating the lips of her sex. He chuckled against the side of her neck as she pressed into him slightly and found her to already be dripping wet. Slowly he slid his middle finger down to her entrance and entered her slightly. This earned him a slight moan against the side of his neck. He pressed in further and found her to be extremely tight.  
"Damn you're tight," he observed in a husky tone. He withdrew his finger and slid it back in a few times earning him several more moans of pleasure.  
Kenmuri had to admit he knew what he was doing. She could tell he was taking his time with her, enjoying it. That much was clear because she could feel his length flex against the side of her leg. He circled her clit slowly and grinned when Kenmuri started to squirm. Finally running his fingers over the sensitive bundle of nerves he heard her gasp and grip the blanket tightly.  
Kisame withdrew his fingers from her and when he did, she reached up and tugged at his shoulder to get him to move back over on top of her. She pressed her hands against his chest and pushed upwards forcing him up on his knees.  
He squared his shoulders back and gave her a hungry look, "You know for someone who's never done this before, you certainly aren't shy," he observed.  
"Why should I be shy about something I want?" she asked reaching up and grabbing the waist of his pants and using it to pull herself up into a sitting position. Now that she as sitting up she had easy access to the button and fly of his pants, which she made quick work of, pulling his pants down freed his impressive length.  
Kisame rolled his head back on his shoulders and heaved a broken sigh as he felt her hands gently smooth up the length of his cock. His breath caught in his throat when he felt the tip of her warm tongue brush along the underside of his cock.  
"You sure you haven't done this before?" he panted and looking down to watch her.  
She gave his cock a teasing squeeze, "Just because I've never done it before doesn't mean I don't know how to make you feel good. It doesn't take a genius to figure this out," she replied and ran her tongue over the engorged tip of his member before inserting it into her mouth and sucking gently.  
Kisame let out a groan thorough clenched teeth. She had a point and he wasn't going to debate with her. He placed his hand on the side of her head, running his fingers through her hair. Sure it might have been considered rushing things if they had done this two weeks ago, but two weeks of constant sexual tension of varying degrees had taken its toll.  
Kenmuri felt Kisame shift his stance slightly and released him to look up to meet the hungry gaze on his face. Sitting back a little he placed a hand on the back of her neck and pulled her in roughly for a heated kiss. She felt his hands slide down her shoulders and then around to her back to untie her shirt. She felt the material slide off her shoulders as he removed it and tossed it to one side. Gripping her shoulder gently he guided her back down to lay back on the blanket. Caressing down her body slowly until he got to the waist of her skirt, he untied it and pushed the material aside. Leaning forward he nipped and kissed up her body from her waist until he was flat against her once more. He kicked his pants off and maneuvered his forearms to be under her back, cradling her in his arms. He ran the tip of his tongue along her jawline and over her lower lip. Her tongue slipped out to meet his before being locked in a heated kiss once again. She ground her hips against his and could feel his hardened member rubbing against her dripping sex.  
Nipping at his lower lip and pressing hard against him with her hips she made it quite clear what she wanted. She felt she had waited long enough. Ever since that first time things had gotten a little heated two weeks ago, she couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like to have him buried deep inside her. She refused to wait any longer, especially now that he was rubbing up against her. Being skin to skin with him felt amazing, but there was a small warning that sounded in the back of her mind about not biting him. If she bit him she would imprint to him and with a matter that serious she had to be careful. She had to be sure because once she imprinted on him the connection could never be severed.  
Kisame chuckled at her eagerness and need for him, "Careful sweetheart, we gotta take this slow, I don't want to hurt you," he said with his breath hot against her ear.  
"I'm tired of waiting," she said nipping at his ear and running her nails across his shoulders.  
"Alright, but we're gonna go slow. You're gonna need time to adjust," Kisame said, shifting to one side to line himself up with her entrance.  
Kenmuri took a sharp intake of breath upon feeling him press into her slightly. Advancing slowly while gently kissing and nibbling on her neck he noticed her breathing started to come in short gasps.  
"You alright?" he asked pausing for a moment. She was extremely tight and it took a considerable amount of will power not to just bury himself deep inside her.  
Kenmuri nodded. "Just give me a second," she panted. Virginity aside, she knew he was larger than the average guy in every aspect of his physicality. She nodded again as a sign that she was ready for him to continue.  
Kisame rested his forehead against her own as he continued his advance until he started to feel resistance. "This might hurt," he said and then pressed the rest of his length in with one quick thrust.  
Kenmuri groaned as she felt an initial sharp pain, but then warmth spread over her. She let out a shaky breath now able to feel him completely inside her. It felt amazing as she felt herself adjust to meet his size.  
"You ok?" he asked hoping he didn't hurt her too badly.  
She responded by kissing him passionately and grinding against him. He returned her passion with a heated kiss of his own and began slowly moving in and out of her. She was seriously so tight he could hardly stand it and every time he thrust deep within, her muscles would contract around him making for an amazing feeling.  
Kenmuri loved the feeling of Kisame sliding inside her. It created an overpowering feeling of fullness and she couldn't keep her muscles from contracting tightly at every thrust. She could feel a tight ball of nerves starting to twist in her stomach as he picked up the pace slightly.  
"Oh fuck, you feel amazing," she panted in his ear as he nibbled on her neck.  
Kisame chuckled roughly, "Mmm never heard you talk like that before, makes it hard to hold back," he said with his voice a low rumble.  
Kenmuri wrapped one of her legs around his waist, "Then don't," she said her voice heavy with need.  
"Like I said before, I don't want to hurt you. You're going to be sore enough as it is," he replied and pulled out almost completely earning a whine from her.  
She kissed him right behind the jawline just below the ear, "Please, I need you," she pleaded in a lusty tone.  
Without warning Kisame plunged deep inside her with a single thrust and she moaned out loud. Her breath caught and her nails dug into his shoulders. He knew it might have been a little rough, but man did it feel good and she seemed to enjoy it too. He repeated the motion several times each time a little quicker. Each time she let out a delightful moan that nearly drove him crazy. He began to feel a tightening in his lower abdomen and knew he was close. He attempted to stimulate her more by rubbing her clit, but he couldn’t focus enough to get his fingers to respond properly. It had been so long since he had been laid and she was so tight, his head felt scrambled.  
Kenmuri could hardly stop herself from panting. The knot of nerves in her stomach had gotten so tight that she knew something had to happen soon. She was panting hard and with one final thrust something snapped inside her and she felt the most amazing warmth spread over her. Even her legs started to shake a little.  
Kisame smiled when he felt her take in a sudden sharp intake of breath and heard a small whine escape from her before she started panting rapidly and the muscles of her sex started contracting around him rapidly. A couple more thrusts and he felt an amazing rush and bit down on her shoulder with a growl.  
He pulled out and examined the wound he had given her, "Aw, shit sorry about that," he said with a half apologetic smile. He leaned forward and licked the blood away.  
"Don't worry about it," Kenmuri breathed and put her hand over the wound. Her hand glowed slightly as she closed the wound.  
He rolled off of her to lie on his back beside her. "It's been a while," he sighed putting his hands behind his head.  
Kenmuri snuggled up close to him, with a sleepy smile. "That was amazing," she mumbled laying her head on his chest.  
"I'm glad I was able to please you on your first time," he replied putting his arm around her and holding her close.  
Kenmuri knew that she was going to be sore the next day, because she was starting to feel sore now but she didn't care. She sat up after a few moments looking up to see what time it was. Judging by the position of the sun it was about four o'clock in the afternoon.  
"We should head back," she said with a sigh.  
Kisame rose up onto one elbow. "Yeah, best to get back before dark. The tide is coming in," he observed. They stood up and redressed, gathering up the blanket and rolling it up tightly.  
Kenmuri was staring up at the cliff that surrounded the small cove thinking, 'That is not going to be a fun climb.' She had made the climb several times before, but she had never been this exhausted.  
Kisame tucked the blanket roll under one arm and picked Kenmuri up, setting her on his shoulder. "You're not going to climb that," he stated flatly as he walked towards the water.  
"So we're going to swim back?" she asked, not much looking forward to that either.  
"No, we're walking," he answered as he began to walk on the surface of the water.  
Kenmuri looked around not expecting him to just stride along the surface of water. She knew he was good at manipulating water, but this surprised her. "How are you doing that?" she asked.  
"Doing what?" Kisame asked not sure what she was referring to.  
"Walking on the water. How are you walking on the water?" she asked watching as he walked and noticed pale blueish flames surrounding his feet.  
"Oh that. By focusing my chakra into the bottoms of my feet and maintaining a steady flow it allows me to walk across the surface of the water," he explained.  
"Oh," Kenmuri said only understanding half of what he said.  
"I could teach you sometime," he offered looking up at her, “Even our genin and kids learn how to do it, it's not that hard.”  
"Sure," she replied with great interest.  
After walking for a couple hours they made it back to the house and Kisame set Kenmuri down on the couch and tossed the blanket into the corner. She sat back on the couch with a happy sigh. Today had been an unforgettable day, and she hoped that Kisame had enjoyed himself as much as she had.  
Kisame went inside and got the kettle of water and prepared the fire pit, before going back inside and came back out with two large bowls of instant Ramen noodles and sitting them on the table. It wasn't long before the water was boiling. After removing the kettle, he poured the water over the noodles and set the kettle next to the fire pit.  
"Dinner is served," he said, smiling as he handed one of the bowls to Kenmuri with a set of chop sticks.  
"It smells amazing," she said taking the bowl from him.  
"Hope you like it," Kisame said sitting down and stirring the contents of his bowl.  
Kenmuri did the same then, after blowing on it and taking a bite she confirmed, "This is very good."  
Kisame nodded and finished his bite. "It's the only brand I have found that tastes as close to home made as possible," he replied and took another bite.  
Both were so hungry that they hardly spoke while eating. When finished, Kenmuri took the bowls inside and threw them away. She yawned and stretched, with her belly full and the fatigue from the earlier activities of the day she was exhausted. She went back outside to where Kisame was sitting and sat down next to him.  
"I'm gonna head to bed. See you in a bit?" she said putting a hand on her shoulder.  
"I'm gonna stay up for a while yet, but I'll be in eventually," he said and gave her a brief, but loving kiss.  
She hugged him. "I'm glad we met," she whispered.  
"Me too," he said kissing her forehead.  
Kenmuri kissed his cheek then went inside to bed. Kisame waited until he knew she was asleep before he got up and went to the back deck. Leaning on the rail he stared out at the ocean, he needed to think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. I hope it wasn't too bad.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave only polite comments and if you have any suggestions drop me a message. Thanks so much for reading! XD


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